Undaunted, fierce, and firm in resolve, these women set out to script history. They pioneered breakthroughs in cinema, arts and the freedom struggle, leaving an indelible mark on India, the ripples of which are felt to date.
1. Accamma Cherian
This ‘Jhansi Ki Rani of Travancore’ is fondly remembered by Kerala for contesting its dictatorship regime. She joined the Travancore State Congress after quitting her job as a history teacher. Accamma’s valour was unbridled, and one instance that underlines her gallantry was on 23 October 1938, when she led 20,000 protestors to the Travancore Royal Palace, to articulate the demands of the public — that the jailed leaders be released and that a responsible government be instated in Travancore.
Her command to the authorities, as they prepared to open fire on the gathering, was clear, “I am the leader; shoot me first before you kill others”. The uprising culminated in the officers withdrawing and the jailed leaders being released.
2. Madhubala
Tales of her beauty and talent are splattered across the pages of cinematic history. But few know the circumstances under which the charismatic Madhubala, born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi in 1933, entered the acting world. She was barely nine when she felt the burden of supporting her family financially. However, as many say, she was made for the silver screen. Right from the outset — Madhubala bagged her first lead role opposite the iconic Raj Kapoor in Neel Kamal (1947) — she managed to win hearts with her cinematic aptitude.
In the span of 36 years, she gave Indian cinema some masterpieces such as Mahal (1949), Amar (1954), Mr and Mrs ’55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Howrah Bridge (1958) Mughal-E-Azam (1960) and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960). While ostensibly portraying love, the films were a window into post-independent India’s battles with poverty, exploitation and family relations. Madhubala climbed the pedestal of popularity on foreign shores as well; in 1952, the American magazine Theatre Arts called her “the biggest star in the world”.
3. Kamala Chandrakant
Every Indian whose childhood was filled with Amar Chitra Katha is (by default) a fan of Kamala Chandrakant. She was the scriptwriter. Kamala passed away on 9 February 2025, but left a legacy behind through her work in the beloved classic, which became a touchstone for generations of comic geeks.
She beautifully illustrated mythology and Indian history, making them come alive through stories. Her works include Birbal the Witty – Stories of Intelligence and Humour, Dasha Avatar: The Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu – A divine saga, and Raman of Tenali (Malayalam) – The adventures of a legendary court jester. Kamala also advocated for greater representation of women heroes in comics.
4. Kailash Puri
She was hailed as ‘Humraaz Maasi’ (confidante aunt) by the generations of Punjabi women, who after marrying and settling across foreign shores, flocked to her for advice. Much before the concept of the ‘agony aunt’ — a person, usually a woman, who advises people with personal problems — took off, Kailash Puri essayed the role.
She contested the idea of squeezing a woman’s identity into tropes. The self-proclaimed ‘sexologist’ encouraged women to reclaim their agency. Her own lived experiences — she was just 18 when she moved from Bombay to Southampton in England with her husband — moulded her advice, which challenged patriarchy and de-tabooed topics such as impotence.
5. Suhasini Ganguly
With a love for the motherland in her DNA, Suhasini Ganguly became associated with the freedom struggle at a young age. She joined the Chhatri Sangha, an Indian women’s student organisation that recruited and trained women revolutionaries. The story of her bravado, as she sheltered fugitives in her Chandannagore (in West Bengal) home, following the Chittagong Armoury Raid of 1930, is widely remembered. She went a step further to protect them, even disguising herself as a married woman alongside fellow revolutionary Shashadhar Acharya.
In September 1930, when British police raided her home, Ganguly and Acharya were arrested and tortured. Following a six-year imprisonment in the Hijli Detention Camp, an undeterred Ganguly joined the Communist Party of India and eventually went on to support the Quit India Movement.
6. Chunibala Devi
“Fantastically realistic and effective!” — This is how the New York Herald Tribune described Chunibala Devi’s performance in Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali (1956). What’s even more fascinating is that she essayed the role when she was 80. Ray recalled meeting her at her home in Kolkata’s red-light district, and knowing instantly that he’d met his lead. Chunibala brought the character of Indir Thakrun to life with finesse.
Despite her health not being in great shape — Chunibala is recalled to have been taking a dose of opium each afternoon before filming — she gave her best. The performance earned her the Best Actress award at the Manila Film Festival.
7. Smita Patil
Smita Patil grew up with a sense of freedom that many girls her age weren’t afforded. Prior to her debut on the silver screen, Patil amassed love among the audience as a Marathi newsreader on Doordarshan in the 1970s. Later, in movies, she became synonymous with roles that redefined beauty standards on the silver screen.
Once ridiculed for her complexion, Patil channelled this angst into the roles she played, urging society to be cognisant of unrealistic beauty standards. One of her most iconic roles was that of ‘Usha’ in Shyam Benegal’s Bhumika (1977), inspired by the life of Marathi actor Hansa Wadkar, which also won her the National Award for Best Actress. In less than eight years, she starred in over 50 impactful films, cementing her legacy as one of Indian cinema’s finest.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee
