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.

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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.

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