India has a rich history of brave women who have not only fought for our basic rights, but have also worked towards the improvement of society. These women endured hardships, and even imprisonment in some cases, to stand for what they believed in. On Women’s Day, let’s celebrate these brave women who deserve a biopic of their own.
1. Savitribai Phule
Savitribai Phule was only nine years old when she was married off to Jyotirao Phule. After her marriage, not only did Savitribai complete her education, but she also became the first Indian female teacher. Along with her husband, she opened a school for girls as she was a staunch supporter of women’s education. While there have been a few films on Phule’s life and times, she deserves a mainstream Bollywood movie so that Indian women can be inspired by her journey.
2. Kanaklata Baruah
In 1942, during the Quit India Movement, 17-year-old Kanaklata led a procession of unarmed villagers. Their aim was to hoist the Indian National Flag at the local police station. While the police force warned them of severe consequences, the group remained undeterred in their motive. Since Kanaklata held the flag, she was shot dead. Today, she’s hailed as a freedom fighter and her statue stands tall at Bongabari, Gohpur, Assam.
3. Justice Anna Chandy
Often hailed as a ‘first generation feminist’, Justice Anna Chandy was the first woman to become a high-court judge and the first female judge in India. Apart from inspiring women to take up a career in law, she also championed women’s rights in the magazine Shrimati, which she edited and founded. Post retirement, she served on the Law Commission of India. It’d be interesting to watch a film based on a woman who made it in a male-dominated job.
4. Anandibai Joshi
Just like Savitribai Phule, Anandibai was married off at the tender age of 9. Post-marriage, the couple moved to Kolkata where Anandibai learned to speak and read Sanskrit and English. Upon her husband’s encouragement, Anandibai took up medicine and became the first Indian woman to gain a degree in Western medicine from Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 21.
5. Captain Prem Mathur
In 1947, Captain Prem Mathur became the first Indian woman to gain a commercial pilot’s licence. She was turned down by eight airlines before being hired by Deccan Airways. During her career, she had flown high-profile people like Lady Mountbatten, Indira Gandhi, and Lal Bahadur Shastri. In 1953, she joined Indian Airlines where she worked for the rest of her career.
Here’s hoping Bollywood will be inspired by these women and make biopics on their lives and times.