Who is the greatest Indian after Gandhi?

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Raj Kapoor

Actor, director and cinema mogul Raj Kapoor is a giant of Indian cinema. ‘The Showman’ as he was fondly called, led the rise of Bollywood during the Golden Age of Indian cinema.

Kapoor’s Awaara & Shri 420 crossed borders with ‘Awaaro Hoon’ and ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’ echoing across the world from the lanes of Moscow to the Middle East even China. In 2005 Awaara was listed in Time Magazine’s All-TIME 100 greatest films since 1923.

Thematically and stylistically Kapoor’s early films, mostly featuring Nargis, contain stunning black-and-white cinematography and urgent social messages. The later films were more commercially minded. But even there the basic theme remained that of a social divide.

His skill as a storyteller made films like Awaara, Barsaat, Shree 420 and later Bobby and Ram Teri Ganga Maili box office hits. Critical acclaim and honours came with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, a Padma Bhushan, numerous Filmfare Awards.

Think of on screen romances and Nargis and Raj Kapoor are the first to come to mind. Raj Kapoor also founded RK Films in 1948, the most important studio of the post-Independence era and one of the first big banners in Bollywood till the 80s. In the late 70’s and early 80’s he began the trend of films focusing on the female protagonist and is credited with launching actress’ such as Dimple Kapadia, Padmini Kolhapure and Mandakini.

Son of film actor and theatre personality Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor belongs to the first family of Bollywood, and remains the first man of Indian cinema.

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M S Subbulakshmi

It is almost impossible to describe the towering personality M S Subbulakshmi, fondly known as MS. Coming from the Devadasi community, the way MS has fought her disadvantaged situation is remarkable. As her biographer TJS George so rightly puts it, "she was at once a child of history and art", both obtrusively and subliminally. The lovers of Carnatic music see M.S. as a saint, even goddess incarnate.

M.S. was initiated into music young, learning her first lessons from her mother. She appeared on stage when she was just 13. Her voice held the world in a spell. She has sung bhajans in 10 languages, each setting high standards in purity of diction and emotional content.

"Child, you carry the veena in your throat," said veena maestro Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer. "Suswaralakshmi, Subhalakshmi," (goddess of perfect tone and auspiciousness) pronounced Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Yehudi Menuhin was enraptured by the golden voice. Zubin Mehta was reluctant to take the stage after an M.S. concert. Even the blind and deaf Helen Keller exclaimed that M S sings like an angel.

Subbulakshmi became a cult figure not only as a singer par excellence. She will be remembered as one of the most loved representatives of the best in traditional Indian values.

A large number of awards including the Bharat Ratna were heaped on MS during her illustrious career spanning more than 50 years. MS lives forever.

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Sachin Tendulkar

It is believed when Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar takes guards to play the gods themselves descend on field to watch him play. Such is his mastery, concentration, talent and ability even opponents can’t help but watch in sheer helplessness and admiration as ball speeds to boundary at regular intervals.

Sachin burst in to cricket scene when he took on ace leg- spinner Abdul Qadir and scored 53 runs in 18 balls scoring 27 runs off a Qadir over in a match in Pakistan when he was barely 16.

Sachin was born in April 24, 1973 in Mumbai. His genius was first seen by his coach Ramanath Achrekar in school when playing for Sharadshram School along with Vinod Kambli, Sachin scored 326 not out in a partnership of 664 in a Harris Shield match.

Tendulkar has virtually broken every record in the game and has established quite a few of his own. He recently scored 100 centuries when he scored his hundredth against Bangla Desh in an ODI at Mirpur.

Don Bradman acclaimed the greatest cricketer ever, invited him to participate in his birthday celebrations along with spinner Shane Warne. Bradman’s wife once while watching Tendulkar on TV, pointed out to Bradman that they both had similar stance and style of play.

Sachin scored a century in his debut Ranji Trophy match against Gujarat when he was less than 16 years scoring 100 not out and became the youngest Indian to score a century on his debut. He has scored a century in debut matches of Ranji, Duleep and Irani Trophy matches. At 19, he became the first overseas player to represent Yorkshire and scored over 1000 runs at an average of 46.52.

During a World cup series, Tendulakr who had to rush back home as his father passed away, at the instance of his mother, came back to England to help the team at a crucial time to qualify for the knockout stage.
He has now scored highest number of runs, maximum centuries, and is reckoned as the greatest cricketer ever to play the game. He is the first player to score a double century in ODI cricket.

Wisden named him the second greatest batsman behind Don Bradman and second all time great batsmen after Vivian Richards to play ODI cricket.
For all his achievements, the living legend is still humble, hasn’t lost his love and hunger to play and remains an icon India and world would love to see.

In recognition to his services to the game, the Government has made him a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha. It is likely he would be honoured with Bharath Rathna, an honour that the little master truly deserves.

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Sam Manekshaw

Fondly known as Sam Bahadur, Sam Manekshaw was an Indian national hero who crafted India's greatest military victories during Bangla liberation war. He was the first Field Marshal of the Indian Army.

His distinguished military career spanned four decades and five wars. Manekshaw rose to be the 8th chief of staff of the Indian Army in 1969 and under his command, Indian forces concluded a victorious campaign, the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War that led to the liberation of Bangladesh. He is one of the unforgettable Indians.

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Sunil Gavaskar

In the Seventies, The West Indies had the best bowling attack and were undisputed champions of the world. In his debut series to West Indies in 1971 Gavaskar became the first Indian batsman to score three centuries and a double hundred to announce his arrival to Test cricket.

His ability to negotiate pace and spin alike on any wicket especially the West Indian fast bowlers set him apart as one of the greatest opening batsmen in the game.

He is the first batsman to score 10,000 runs and 34 centuries till it was overtaken few years back. He was the first Indian to aggregate more than 700 runs in a series and his 774 runs at an average of 154.80 remain the highest scored by a batsman in his debut series.

In 1975-76 series Gavaskar and his brother-in-law Gundappa Vishwanath both scored centuries while chasing an improbable score of over 400 runs, which India won by scoring 406 for 4 - second highest run chase in the fourth Innings in Test cricket.

When India resumed cricket ties against Pakistan Gavaskar scored 89 in first Test, 97 in second Test and a century in each innings of 111 and 137 although India lost the series.

In the Seventies, The West Indies had the best bowling attack and were undisputed champions of the world. In his debut series to West Indies in 1971 Gavaskar became the first Indian batsman to score three centuries and a double hundred to announce his arrival to Test cricket.

His ability to negotiate pace and spin alike on any wicket especially the West Indian fast bowlers set him apart as one of the greatest opening batsmen in the game.

He is the first batsman to score 10,000 runs and 34 centuries till it was overtaken few years back. He was the first Indian to aggregate more than 700 runs in a series and his 774 runs at an average of 154.80 remain the highest scored by a batsman in his debut series.

In 1975-76 series Gavaskar and his brother-in-law Gundappa Vishwanath both scored centuries while chasing an improbable score of over 400 runs, which India won by scoring 406 for 4 - second highest run chase in the fourth Innings in Test cricket.

When India resumed cricket ties against Pakistan Gavaskar scored 89 in first Test, 97 in second Test and a century in each innings of 111 and 137 although India lost the series.

Gavaskar bade farewell to captaincy immediately after India beat Pakistan in the World Championship of Cricket in Victoria in Australia.

Gavaskar was honoured with a Padma Bhushan in 1994. Border- Gavaskar Trophy has been instituted for Australia and India cricket Test matches, a fitting honour for the great cricketer.

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Verghese Kurien

India's most trusted brand was created not by a mightly Multinational Corporation nor by a great public sector company. The brand of course is AMUL, an extraordinary story of co-operation among farmers across India. AMUL was the brainchild of an engineer from Kerala Verghese Kurien, who went on to become India's milkman.

Over Fifty years ago, this visionary made his home in the barren lands of Gujarat. The rest ..... as they say is history. AMUL is India's best brand, a huge marketing success, an example of what a great visionary can achieve against the odds.

By creating AMUL, Kurien helped generate employment for millions of farmers and labourers. Befittingly, AMUL was born and nurtured in the home state of Mahatma Gandhi, who wanted the rural people of India to be self-reliant and independent. Truly and most deservingly Dr. Verghese Kurien is one of the greatest Indians.

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Vikram Sarabhai

Known as the Father of the Indian space programme. Vikram Sarabhai was one of the greatest scientists of India. Apart from being a scientist, he was a rare combination of an innovator, industrialist and visionary. He was greatly influenced by nationalist movement. Vikram Sarabhai was instrumental in establishing the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) at his house in Ahmedabad.

Sarabhai did research on the time variations of cosmic rays and concluded that meteorological effects could not entirely affect the observed daily variations of cosmic rays; further, the residual variations were wide and global and these were related to variations in solar activity. Vikram Sarabhai visualized a new field of research opening up in solar and interplanetary Physics. It exposed him to the new vistas of space science with the launching in 1957 of Sputnik-I. Subsequently, the Indian National Committee for Space Research was created, of which Vikram Sarabhai became Chairman.

With active support from Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai set up the first Rocket Launching station (TERLS) in the country at Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram on the Arabian Coast, as Thumba is very close to the Equator. The first rocket with sodium vapour payload was launched on November 21, 1963. In 1965, the UN General Assembly gave recognition to TERLS as an international facility.

After the sudden death of Homi Bhabha in an air crash, Vikram Sarabhai was appointed Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission in May 1966. He wanted the practical application of science to reach the common man. He decided to acquire competence in advance technology for the solution of country’s problems based on technical and economic evaluation of its real resources. He initiated India’s space programme, which today is rated one of the top Five in the World.

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Viswanathan Anand

Future World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand started as a child prodigy by solving chess puzzles when he was still in school in Manila, Phillipines where the family had moved. His mother played an important role in grooming the young Anand. The first of the many prizes started trickling in when he solved the puzzles that came on afternoons on TV there.

Born to Vishwanatahan Iyer and Sushila in 1969 at Mailaduthirai in Tamil Nadu Anand started chess when he was barely 6 and became the youngest international Master at the age of 15. At 16 he became the National Chess Champion and a Grandmaster at 18. In between he became a graduate in commerce from Loyola College then Madras.

Speed was the essence of his game and quite often he bamboozled the best of them by his sheer speed. He won the world chess Championship between 2000to 2002 conducted by FIDE when chess organization split into two. Later when they united, Anand became the undisputed champion from 2006 till date. Anand is the only player to have won championship in many formats including Tournaments, Match, Rapid and Knockout chess.

Former Champion Vladmir Kramnik, a champion himself once said, ‘I always consider Anand to be of colossal talent, one of the Greatest in the whole history of Chess’. Gary Kasparov the former Champion worked with Anand and helped him in his world championship preparations.

The Government honoured him with a Padma Shri when he was only 16; he was the first recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Rathna Award in 1991-92 and Padma Vibhushan in 2007. Married to Aruna with a child Akhil, Anands are most unassuming leading a simple life in Spain.

Anand is singularly responsible for putting India on the International map of chess and making it a popular sport for younger generation. His contribution both as a player and motivator is invaluable to the younger generation. He is another true Bharath Rathna.

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Mohammed Rafi

One of Indian cinema’s most popular male playback singers, Mohammed Rafi reigned over the world of Hindi film music for almost 40 years. Be it a romantic number, a classical tune, a patriotic number, ghazal or a bhajan Mohammed Rafi had the ability to adapt his voice to the mood and is considered by many to be the most versatile singer ever in the history of Indian cinema.

Inspired by singers like KL Saigal and GM Durrani, Rafi began his career as a singer in Lahore in 1941 with a Punjabi film, later moved to Mumbai in 1944. In 1948, after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, Mohammed Rafi reportedly overnight created the song ‘Suno Suno Ae Duniyawalon, Bapuji Ki Amar Kahani…’ and later received a silver medal from Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the first anniversary of the Indian Independence Day.
While looking for work, Rafi reportedly met music composer Naushad with a recommendation letter from Naushad’s father and Rafi soon took Talat Mahmood’s place as Naushad’s favourite singer.

Rafi had successful associations with almost every mainstream music composer he worked with, be it SD Burman, Shankar Jaikishan, OP Nayyar or Madan Mohan. Rafi was honoured with the Padmshri in 1967 and won 6 Filmfare awards over the years.

Though the legendary singer took a break and chose to sing fewer songs in the 1970s, his popularity did not wane. Infact Rafi won the National Award for playback singing as late as in 1977 for the song ‘Kya Hua Tera Vaada…’ from ‘Hum Kisise Kum Nahin’.

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Baba Amte

A modern saint, who dedicated his entire life to the cause of sick, poor, downtrodden, tribals, national peace and unity. His ashram ‘Anandwan’ has been a home to thousands of leprosy patients and others for over 60 years. He appeared on the national scene in a big way through his ‘Knit India’ or ‘Bharat Jodo’ aandolan in the mid 1980s.

For the next 20 years, almost until he was 90, he was to push himself through a gruelling series of initiatives. He led a struggle against two dams in Maharashtra which would have submerged large tracts of forest and the homes and livelihood of thousands of tribals. He led two cycle marches of youths, the first from south to north, and the other from east to west. He led several peace missions to Punjab.

- And finally, he lent his prestige and voice to the struggle of the people who were displaced by the Narmada dams. Till his death Baba Amte lived his words.