The great women

Asha Bhosle

(SINGER)

ASHA BHOSLE -All her life she had to play a supporting role for her "Didi". She has a sensuous voice that even Lata can't match. Nobody young or old can match her allure. She is a great songstress who can beat the new generation singers as well.

LATA MANGHESHKAR -She is India's most recognizable voice. Some of her songs are pure and full of pathos that would move us with tears. Even at this age Lata, enthralls everyone despite a number of new generation singers coming up. Nobody can replace this singing Queen.

BACHENDRI PAL- She went on to prove that if a man can do it, then a woman can do by climbing the highest mountain peak in the world. She is the first Indian woman to do so. An impoverished childhood did not obstruct her path to hard work and fame. Now she is busy at the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation training the next generation of climbers.

DR. INDIRA HINDUJA - She was the first Indian doctor to produce a test tube baby. On August 6th, 1986, India's first test tube baby, Harsha was born thanks to the three years of painstaking research in invitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Now thanks to her, many Indian women yearning for motherhood are getting hope

KALPANA CHAWLA-

She was a Tomboy, growing up in Karnal in Haryana. She learned Karate in her early years and she dared to dream. She had a special likening for flying. She qualified from over 2962 applicants to earn herself a place in the Space Shuttle Columbia for a 16 day out of the world experience. The NASA chief called her a "Terrific astronaut". The U.S. space shuttle Columbia with a seven-member crew that included Chawla, 41, disintegrated in flames over central Texas shortly before it was scheduled to land at Cape Canaversal in Florida. On February 1, 2003, at an altitude of 63 kilometers and a velocity of 20,000 km/hr, Columbia disintegrated killing Kalpana and her six colleagues.The satellite serves to perpetuate the memory of Kalpana who sacrificed her life to the cause of peaceful uses of outer space.

KIRAN BEDI -

"It is always possible" is the philosophy of her life. She is a Magsaysay Award winner for her writings. She is the most controversial IPS woman officer who was known for hauling off illegally parked cars in the city of Delhi, cleaning the Augean Stables of Tihar Jail. In between she ruffled a few feat


M.S.SUBBULAKSHMI


M.S.SUBBULAKSHMI- She had the voice of an angel and a face to match. She brought Bhakthi to her music like none other. It was purely spiritual quality that set her apart from many other voices. Incomparable, unsurpassable, she was one of India's two nightingales. One of the most influential singers of the last century she died on 11 December 2004 in Chennai in India. Her death is a great loss not only to Carnatic music but also to the entire music world.

MANEKA GANDHI -

She is the young "Bahu" of the Gandhi family. She is a dedicated and vocal environmentalist who crusades for the cause of animal rights which often land up her in controversies. She also fights for human rights and has freed many children working in the carpet industry.

Medha Patkar

MEDHA PATKAR


MEDHA PATKAR -She is a frail, prematurely graying figure who is fighting for the largest displacement of people on the banks of the Narmada. She is against the combined forces of the World Bank, The Government of India and an army of vested interests. She carries the struggle onwards through her other social crusades via the National Alliance of People's Movement.

NAJMA HEPTULLAH - She has been the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for three terms, an achievement nobody has equaled so far. During the tenure she maintained a fair play and at the same time maintained her dignity and control amidst the intemperate proceedings that often prevailed. One of her other successful projects outside the Parliament has been the setting of two all-woman post offices in Mumbai.


Najma Heptullah

NAJMA HEPTULLAH

P.T.Usha

P.T.USHA


Pilavullakandi Thekaparambil Usha- She is a woman of great determination. At the 1984 Olympics she heart-stoppingly came near to winning India its first bronze medal in athletics but missed it by the skin of her teeth. At the Asian Athletic events at Jakarta in 1985 she won many medals and got a huge haul of medals at the 8th Asian Games in Seoul.




SHOBHA DE - She was prefixed as the rebel but now her writings sound matronly. Now and then she splutters with rage over the misdoings of the younger generations. She can be held responsible for the speeding up of the pace of sexual revolution in India with her sensuous novels.


SHAHNAZ HUSSAIN - She is the mother of all herbal cosmetics in India. Behind the veils lies a woman with sheer determination and hard work. Her creams and lotions have found their way into salons in different parts of the globe. She has 650 salons at 104 countries.


USHA UTHUP - Her rich and resonant voice can be described as honey flowing on gravel! Her identifications are that plump figure, Kancheevaram saris, clinging glass bangles and a big Bindi. She sings in 14 languages and is incredibly staying still in this field.

ARUNDHATI ROY- She is a great writer and won the Booker Prize for her debut novel, "the God of small things". She is a vociferous supporter of the rights of Phoolan Devi.

MADHURI MATHUR- Almost 40 years ago this woman dreamed of a kitchen machine that would blend, chop, mince and totally make her life easier and then discussed it with her Engineer husband Mathur. And then the sumeet mixer was born and is a household name still.

DEEPA MEHTA - Director. Her first film "Fire" ran into big controversies but eventually the sensor board released it with little cuts. We are eagerly awaiting more controversial films from her.