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Icons of Bhārat
The freedom fighters, scientists, poets, saints, kings, artists, and champions who shaped Bhārat — from the heroes of the epics to the father of the nation. Meet the people who made the story of Bhārat.
40 icons in Artists & Performers
Artists & Performers
40 iconsA.V. Varadachariar
ಎ.ವಿ. ವರದಾಚಾರ್
A.V. Varadachariar was a great actor of the Kannada stage who won an immortal place in the history of the theatre of the region — a performer whose art captivated audiences in Karnataka and in the Tamil country alike. He was also a reformer of the stage and a man of generous character.
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar
அரியக்குடி ராமானுஜ ஐயங்கார்
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar was one of the greatest Carnatic vocalists of the modern age — the musician who designed the format of the modern Carnatic concert, arranging its items in the order that every concert follows today. His singing, marked by its clarity and its sweetness, made him the model of the Carnatic vocalist for a century.
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
बड़े ग़ुलाम अली ख़ाँ
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was the greatest Hindustani vocalist of the twentieth century — the supreme master of the Patiala gharana, whose voice could move from the deepest bass to the highest note in a single breath. Called the Tansen of his age, he made the khyal and the thumri soar to a level no singer of his time approached.
Bala Gandharva
बाल गंधर्व
Bala Gandharva was the greatest figure of the Marathi stage — a singer and actor whose voice and grace made him the most beloved performer of his age, and whose female roles — in the era before actresses — were so perfect that audiences wept. His songs became the household music of Maharashtra, and his name remains the highest honour of the Marathi theatre.
Balraj Sahni
बलराज साहनी
Balraj Sahni was one of the most loved actors of Indian cinema — a star whose natural, truthful acting made him the model of the realist performer. His role in the classic Do Bigha Zamin made him a national icon, and his life, marked by integrity and simplicity, made him as loved as a man as he was as an artist.
Basavappa Shastri
ಬಸವಪ್ಪ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಿ
Basavappa Shastri was the father of Kannada theatre — the scholar and poet who brought the modern stage to the Kannada land and wrote the plays that founded its dramatic literature. His extraordinary learning, his poetic gifts, and his sweet voice made him the maker of the Kannada theatre of Mysore.
Bellary Raghava
ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ ರಾಘವ
Bellary Raghava was the greatest actor of the Kannada stage — a performer whose genius made him the most celebrated figure of the theatre of Karnataka and of the Tamil stage as well. His acting, in the great mythological and historical plays of the age, drew audiences that filled the theatres, and his name became the very word for great acting in the South.
Bidaram Krishnappa
ಬಿದರಾಮ ಕೃಷ್ಣಪ್ಪ
Bidaram Krishnappa was one of the greatest Carnatic vocalists of the Mysore court — the asthana vidwan whose singing of the great composers' kritis, and whose mastery of the music of Tyagaraja and the Mysore tradition, made him the standard of the age. His name is the bridge between the royal patronage of Mysore and the concert music of today.
C. Aswath
ಸಿ. ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥ್
C. Aswath was the master of Bhavageethe — the art of setting Kannada poetry to music — and one of the most loved musicians of Karnataka. For four decades his voice carried the poems of the great Kannada poets into the homes of the people, and his music became the very sound of the modern Kannada cultural awakening.
Dadasaheb Phalke
दादासाहेब फाळके
Dadasaheb Phalke is the father of cinema of Bhārat — the man who, after seeing a film on Christ, asked 'why not the gods of Bhārat?' and made Raja Harishchandra, the first feature film of Bhārat, in 1913. He built his own cameras, developed his own film, and created the mythology of cinema of Bhārat almost single-handedly.
Gubbi Veeranna
ಗುಬ್ಬಿ ವೀರಣ್ಣ
Gubbi Veeranna was the king of the Kannada stage — the theatre pioneer who built the most famous drama company of Karnataka and carried the stage to every town of the state. His Gubbi company trained a generation of actors and produced the plays that are the golden history of Kannada theatre.
Guru Dutt
गुरु दत्त
Guru Dutt was one of the greatest filmmakers of the world — the poet of Indian cinema whose films, especially Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, are counted among the masterpieces of world cinema. An actor and director of genius, he died young, but his films — dark, lyrical, and heartbreakingly beautiful — made him immortal.
K.K. Hebbar
ಕೆ.ಕೆ. ಹೆಬ್ಬಾರ್
K.K. Hebbar was one of the greatest painters of modern Bhārat — the artist of the coast whose canvases, full of the music, the dance, and the life of the land, carried the soul of Bhārat into the modern idiom. His work is honoured in the great museums and collections of the world, and he was one of the founders of the modern art movement of the nation.
Keremane Shivaram Hegde
ಕೆರೆಮನೆ ಶಿವರಾಮ ಹೆಗಡೆ
Keremane Shivaram Hegde was the king of Yakshagana — the great dance-drama of the Karnataka coast — and one of the most celebrated artists in its history. As the leader of the famous Yakshagana troupe of his village, he carried the art to the stages of Bhārat and the world, and his performances made him a legend of the coastal land.
M. Venkatakrishnayya
ಎಂ. ವೆಂಕಟಕೃಷ್ಣಯ್ಯ
M. Venkatakrishnayya was a teacher and journalist of the Kannada land — a man born in poverty who never knew wealth but whose heart and life were rich beyond measure. He was among the foremost of the pioneers of Kannada journalism, a teacher of ideals, and a voice of the society's conscience for half a century.
M.G. Ramachandran
எம்.ஜி.ஆர்
M.G. Ramachandran, known to millions as MGR, was the greatest star of Tamil cinema — the hero of more than a hundred films whose screen roles made him the idol of the poor of the South. He carried that love into politics, founded his own party, and became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, serving the people he had entertained for three decades.
Madurai Mani Iyer
மதுரை மணி ஐயர்
Madurai Mani Iyer was one of the greatest Carnatic vocalists of the modern age — a singer whose voice, brimming with joy and energy, made him the most loved musician of the South in his time. His concerts, famous for their brilliance and their sparkling style, remain the model of the Carnatic concert for every singer.
Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer
மகா வைத்தியநாத ஐயர்
Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer was a prodigy of Carnatic music — a singer who, from the age of ten, astonished the great scholars of the South, and a composer whose work includes one of the greatest creations of the tradition, the Ragamalika of 108 ragas. His genius and his humility made him one of the most revered musicians of his age.
Mario Miranda
मारियो मिरांडा
Mario Miranda was one of the greatest cartoonists of the world — the artist of Goa whose witty, detailed drawings of the life of the street made him the most beloved cartoonist of Bhārat. His work appeared in the world's greatest newspapers and magazines, and his art was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan and with exhibitions across the globe.
Mudaveedu Krishnarao
ಮುದವೀಡು ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾವ್
Mudaveedu Krishnarao was one of the great actors of the Kannada stage — a performer of heroic roles whose acting moved audiences to their feet and whose patriotic plays stirred the spirit of the people. He was also a man of deep pride in his land, language, and faith, and his life was a service to the culture of Karnataka.
Muthiah Bhagavathar
முத்தையா பாகவதர்
Muthiah Bhagavathar was one of the greatest musicians and composers of the Carnatic tradition — a master of the Harikatha, the musical narration of the sacred stories, and a composer of more than four hundred kritis. He was honoured with the title of Gayaka Sikhamani, 'the crest-jewel of singers', and his compositions remain the treasure of the South.
Mysore Ananthaswamy
ಮೈಸೂರು ಅನಂತಸ್ವಾಮಿ
Mysore Ananthaswamy was the pioneer of Sugama Sangeetha, the light music of Karnataka — a singer and composer who set the poems of the great Kannada poets to music and created a whole genre of the state's music. His songs, simple and beautiful, are among the most loved in the Kannada language.
Mysore Sadashivarao
ಮೈಸೂರು ಸದಾಶಿವರಾವ್
Mysore Sadashivarao was one of the great figures of the music of Karnataka — a singer of a sweet voice and a composer of beautiful songs whose work enriched the Carnatic tradition of the South. He was also a teacher who guided a generation of musicians, and his life was one of purity and service to the art.
N.T. Rama Rao
ఎన్.టి. రామారావు
N.T. Rama Rao, known as NTR, was the greatest star of Telugu cinema — the actor who played the gods of the epics, especially Krishna, with such power that millions worshipped him on the screen. He carried that devotion into politics, founded the Telugu Desam Party in a single week, and became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Nandalal Bose
नंदलाल बोस
Nandalal Bose was the greatest painter of modern Bhārat after Ravi Varma — the master of Santiniketan who gave the art revival of Bhārat its deepest roots in folk, Ajanta, and village tradition. He painted Bhārat's history, Bhārat's people, and Bhārat's soul, and his work is the bridge between the classical past and the modern nation.
Panchakshari Gavai
ಪಂಚಾಕ್ಷರಿ ಗವಾಯಿ
Panchakshari Gavai was one of the greatest singers of the Dharwad tradition of North Karnataka — a master of the Hindustani khayal whose concerts were the wonder of the age. A singer of matchless depth and devotion, he carried the great ragas of the North to the concert halls of the South and trained a generation of musicians.
Pannalal Ghosh
पन्नालाल घोष
Pannalal Ghosh was the master of the flute of Hindustani music — the musician who transformed the humble bansuri into a full concert instrument capable of the deepest ragas of the North. His playing, at once powerful and tender, made the flute a first-rank instrument of the classical stage.
Papanasam Sivan
பாபநாசம் சிவன்
Papanasam Sivan was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music — the 'Tamil Tyagaraja', whose devotional kritis in Tamil are sung in every concert of the South. His songs, born of his devotion and his love of the Tamil language, made him one of the most beloved figures of the Carnatic tradition.
Prithviraj Kapoor
पृथ्वीराज कपूर
Prithviraj Kapoor was one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema and the father of the most famous acting dynasty of Bhārat — the patriarch of the Kapoors who dominated the screen for three generations. He was also the founder of Prithvi Theatres, the great travelling stage company, and his voice and presence made him a titan of the Indian stage and screen.
Raja Ravi Varma
राजा रवि वर्मा
Raja Ravi Varma was the first painter to master of Bhārat modern oil painting — and the first to bring the gods of Bhārat to the common home. His images of Lakshmi, Saraswati, and the heroes of the epics, printed by the lakh in his own press, shaped how Bhārat imagines its divinities to this day.
S.G. Bindu Rao
ಸಂ. ಗೋ. ಬಿಂದೂರಾವ್
S.G. Bindu Rao was one of the greatest masters of Gamaka — the art of singing the classics of Kannada with musical interpretation — and his recitation of the Kumaravyasa Bharata was famous across the land. He was the artist who kept the ancient art of the Gamaka alive and trained a generation in its mastery.
S.S. Vasan
எஸ்.எஸ். வாசன்
S.S. Vasan was one of the great pioneers of Indian cinema — the filmmaker and publisher who made the epic scale of Tamil cinema possible. His Gemini Studios produced some of the greatest films of the age, including the immortal Chandralekha, and his magazine, Ananda Vikatan, was the most influential of the Tamil world.
Shyama Shastri
ಶ್ಯಾಮ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಿ
Shyama Shastri was one of the Trinity of Carnatic music — the trio of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Shyama Shastri who created the golden age of the South's music. He was the eldest of the three, and his compositions, full of devotion to the goddess and of musical genius, are among the treasures of the Carnatic tradition.
Tansen
तानसेन
Tansen is the greatest name in music of Bhārat — the singer of Akbar's court whose mastery of the ragas made him a legend while alive and a deity after. He is said to have composed the Dhrupad forms that still open concerts, and his name — as in the Tansen Festival and the Tansen of film — is the very word for musical genius in Bhārat.
Vasudevacharya
ವಾಸುದೇವಾಚಾರ್ಯ
Mysore Vasudevacharya was one of the greatest composers and singers of Carnatic music — the court musician of Mysore who lived for nearly a century and whose kritis, in Sanskrit and Kannada, are among the treasures of the tradition. His life spanned the golden age of Mysore's music, and his compositions are sung in every concert of the South.
Veene Sheshanna
ವೀಣೆ ಶೇಷಣ್ಣ
Veene Sheshanna was the greatest veena player Bhārat has produced — the court musician of Mysore whose mastery of the sacred instrument earned him the title of 'Tansen of the veena' and whose concerts were the wonder of South Bhārat. He made the veena sing as a voice, and his name remains the highest honour of the instrument.
Veene Subbanna
ವೀಣೆ ಸುಬ್ಬಣ್ಣ
Veene Subbanna was one of the great jewels of the music of Mysore — a musician of the royal court whose veena playing and singing made him one of the most honoured artists of the age. He lived a life of ease and pleasure, yet was a man of extraordinary generosity, giving away lakhs in charity and honouring learning and talent without jealousy.
Veene Venkatagiriyappa
ವೀಣೆ ವೆಂಕಟಗಿರಿಯಪ್ಪ
Veene Venkatagiriyappa was one of the great masters of the veena — the disciple of the legendary Veene Sheshanna who also mastered the Western music of the age. A simple and generous man, he gave music lessons to hundreds of students and his playing was among the glories of the Mysore tradition.
Vishnu Digambar Paluskar
विष्णु दिगंबर पलुस्कर
Vishnu Digambar Paluskar was one of the greatest figures in the history of Hindustani music — the singer who carried the classical art from the courts and private houses into the public concert and the school. He founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, the first great public music school of the North, and used music in the service of the nation.
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande
विष्णु नारायण भातखंडे
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande was the father of modern Hindustani musicology — the scholar who travelled the length of Bhārat collecting the great compositions of the past, and who organised the vast field of Hindustani music into the system of ragas and thaats that is taught in every school today. His work saved the classical music of the North from chaos and decline.
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