1. A woman icon It was unheard of in the movie industry for a female protagonist to be paid a handsome sum in fees, let alone a lakh. However, Bengali actress Suchitra Sen broke this norm when she was paid Rs 1 lakh for her movies.

She was the first Indian actress to receive an award at an international film festival — the 1963 Moscow International Film Festival — for her work in Saat Pake Bandha.

2. The man who put Indian wrestling on the world map In 1952, Indians watched with bated breath as Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, also known as the ‘Pocket Dynamo’, won the bronze medal at Helsinki Olympics.

But what few know is that Jadhav wasn’t able to afford the trip and requested his college professors to help. His principal, R Khardikar, mortgaged his house for Rs 7,000.

3. A ray of hope for Rajasthan Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, Rajasthan, introduced prison reforms wherein the Bikaner prisoners weaved carpets that were then sold internationally.

It is said that during World War I, he commanded the Bikaner Camel Corps, which served in France, Egypt and Palestine. ⁠

4. Hero of the Kargil War During the Kargil War fought in 1999, Vikram Batra (24) emerged as a brave and courageous soldier who was given the name ‘Shershah’ for his bravery. ⁠

5. A pioneer in science Kamala Sohonie was intent on getting admitted into the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to pursue her research, but was denied because of her gender. After much persuasion, she was admitted by Sir C V Raman, the then head of the institute.

Kamala proved that women could do anything, and following her earning a scholarship at UK’s prestigious Cambridge University, IISc began admitting female students.

6. ⁠The man who took India to space In 1984, when Rakesh Sharma returned to Earth from space, he recounted how overwhelming it was.

He said, “Slowly, you begin to realise that borders are not visible from space and then you start looking at your country as part of a whole, and the whole being planet Earth itself.” “You come back feeling how fragile the planet is, and how it needs to be protected,” he added.

7. The pioneer of transport through the ghats Walchand group founder Seth Walchand Hirachand Doshi is known as the man behind India’s first modern shipyard, first aircraft factory and first car factory. But among the company’s notable projects is the commissioning of tunnels through the Bhor Ghats on the Mumbai-Pune railway route.

8. A woman hero during the freedom struggle Amar Kaur, the sister of Bhagat Singh, was arrested in 1932 when she pulled a chain in a running train and shouted nationalist slogans during the Civil Disobedience Movement.

She was arrested once again during the Quit India Movement in 1942 for setting up training camps in Lahore for women.

9. A medical superhero Lieutenant Colonel Dr Arcot G (AG) Rangaraj was known for his passion towards helping those in need of medical attention, and he even led a medical mission to the Korean peninsula.

In November 1950, the Colonel was promoted to head the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance unit and is said to have treated more than two lakh wounded soldiers.

10. A musical genius When Philomena Thumboochetty — the daughter of the ‘Huzur’ secretary of the Maharaja of Mysore — was just a teenager, she took the fellowship examination offered by Trinity College London and was awarded 98%.

She was admitted to the famed Paris Conservatoire and was the youngest and the first from India to do so.⁠