Arati Kumar-Rao is an Indian author and photographer. In 2023, she released her book Marginlands: Indian landscapes on the Brink and was added to the BBC's 100 Women list.
Arati Kumar-Rao was born in Bengaluru. She studied for an MBA at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, a Master of Education at Arizona State University and an MSc in Physics at the University of Pune, then worked at Intel. [1] She decided in 2013 to leave her job and write about landscapes. [2] On her Tumblr blog, River Diaries: Brahmaputra, she profiled the Brahmaputra River. [3] She walked with writer Paul Salopek through the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan. [4] In 2023, she released her book Marginlands: Indian landscapes on the Brink and was added to the BBC's 100 Women list. [5] [6]
Rao's debut novel, Marginlands, was published June 2, 2023 by Picador India. The book is about her journeys to marginlands, listening intently to their inhabitants, paying close attention to each fissure, fold and ripple. She documents the misguided decisions, wilfully ignored warnings and disregarded evidence that have brought humans to a point of no return. But the land is still rich in ancient wisdom, and its cracks hold lessons that may yet aid us in undoing centuries of slow violence – so long as one is willing to attune their senses. [7]
The Ganges is a trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through India and Bangladesh. The 2,525 km (1,569 mi)-long river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It flows south and east through the Gangetic plain of North India, receiving the right-bank tributary, the Yamuna, which also rises in the western Indian Himalayas, and several left-bank tributaries from Nepal that account for the bulk of its flow. In West Bengal state, India, a feeder canal taking off from its right bank diverts 50% of its flow southwards, artificially connecting it to the Hooghly River. The Ganges continues into Bangladesh, its name changing to the Padma. It is then joined by the Jamuna, the lower stream of the Brahmaputra, and eventually the Meghna, forming the major estuary of the Ganges Delta, and emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna system is the second-largest river on earth by discharge.
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, and Jamuna River in Bengali. By itself, it is the 9th largest river in the world by discharge, and the 15th longest.
Hema Malini Dharmendra Deol also known as 'Dream Girl' of 70s is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a member of the Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Mathura constituency since 2014. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka from 2011 to 2012, subsequent to her nomination to that chamber from 2003 to 2009 as a member of the BJP. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has starred in both comic and dramatic roles, and is one of the most popular and successful leading actresses of mainstream Hindi cinema.
Margaret Rumer Godden was a British author of more than 60 fiction and non-fiction books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably Black Narcissus in 1947 and The River in 1951.
Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), formerly the University of Pune, is a public state university located in the city of Pune, India. It was established in 1949, and is spread over a 411 acres (1.66 km2) campus in the neighbourhood of Ganeshkhind. The university houses 46 academic departments. It has about 307 recognised research institutes and 612 affiliated colleges offering graduate and under-graduate courses. Savitribai Phule Pune University Ranked 12th NIRF Ranking in 2022.
Amrita Rao is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. Known for her "quintessential girl-next-door" portrayals, Rao is the recipient of an IIFA Award and two Stardust Awards, along with nominations for two Filmfare Awards.
Twinkle Khanna, also known as Tina Jatin Khanna, is an Indian author, columnist, interior designer, film producer, and former actress.
Smita Patil was an Indian actress who primarily worked in Hindi and Marathi films. Regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she was known for her unconventional portrayal of strong and independent women. Patil appeared in over 80 films, in a career that spanned over a decade and was the recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award, a Maharashtra State Film Award and two Filmfare Awards Marathi. In 1985, Patil received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.
Arati Gupta was an Indian long-distance swimmer. Arati Saha was a female athlete who became the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel on 29 September 1959, at the age of 19. In 1960, she became the first Indian sportswoman to be awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honor in India.
Indian English literature (IEL), also referred to as Indian Writing in English (IWE), is the body of work by writers in India who write in the English language but whose native or co-native language could be one of the numerous languages of India. Its early history began with the works of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio and Michael Madhusudan Dutt followed by Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo. R. K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao contributed to the growth and popularity of Indian English fiction in the 1930s. It is also associated, in some cases, with the works of members of the Indian diaspora who subsequently compose works in English.
Anita Nair is an Indian novelist who writes her books in English. She is best known for her novels A Better Man, Mistress, and Lessons in Forgetting. She has also written poetry, essays, short stories, crime fiction, historical fiction, romance, and children's literature, including Muezza and Baby Jaan: Stories from the Quran.
Geetanjali Shree, also known as Geetanjali Pandey, is an Indian Hindi-language novelist and short-story writer based in New Delhi, India. She is the author of several short stories and five novels. Her 2000 novel Mai was shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award in 2001, while its English translation by Nita Kumar was published by Niyogi Books in 2017. In 2022, her novel Ret Samadhi (2018), translated into English as Tomb of Sand by Daisy Rockwell, won the International Booker Prize. Aside from fiction, she has written critical works on Premchand.
Aditi Rao Hydari is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. Born into the Tyabji–Hydari family, she made her film debut with the Malayalam film Prajapathi (2006). She received attention for her roles in Delhi 6 (2009) and Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), for which she won her first Screen Award. She subsequently appeared in Rockstar (2011), the horror film Murder 3 (2013), Boss (2013), and the thriller Wazir (2016), as well as the period drama Padmaavat (2018), which was commercially successful and earned her an IIFA Award.
Literature from North East India (Assamese: উত্তৰ-পূৱ ভাৰতৰ সাহিত্য is literature in the languages of North East India and the body of work by English-language writers from this region. North East India is an under-represented region in many ways. The troubled political climate, the beautiful landscape and the confluence of various ethnic groups perhaps have given rise to a body of writing that is completely different from Indian English literature. North-East India was a colonial construct and continues to be one by virtue of having a historically difficult relationship with the Indian nation state.
Nushrratt Bharuccha is an Indian actress who mainly works in Hindi films. After working in television, she made her film debut with Jai Santoshi Maa (2006). She gained recognition for her roles in Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010) and Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011). Bharuccha's career progressed with starring roles in the comedies Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 (2015), Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018), and Dream Girl (2019). She has since starred in Chhorii (2021), Janhit Mein Jaari (2022) and Ram Setu (2022).
Seema Rao is popularly known as “Wonder Woman of India” amongst the Indian media. She is India's first female special forces trainer, having trained Special Forces of India for over two decades without compensation. She is an expert in close quarter battle (CQB) — the art of fighting in tight proximity — and is involved in training various Indian forces. She works in partnership with Major Deepak Rao, her husband.
Kriti Sanon is an Indian actress who works in Hindi and Telugu-language films. She has received a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards, and has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list of 2019.
Divya Khosla Kumar is an Indian model, actress, producer, and director who mainly works in Hindi cinema. She has directed two films; the romantic comedy Yaariyan (2014) and the romantic drama Sanam Re (2016) and has produced Hindi films and music videos.
Neelum Saran Gour is an Indian English writer of fiction that depicts North India's small towns and their cultural histories. She is the author of six novels, four collections of short stories and one work of literary non-fiction. She has edited a pictorial volume on the history and culture of the city of Allahabad, where she lives and works, and has also translated one of her early novels into Hindi.
Neha Singh is an Indian theatre-maker, author and campaigner who encourages women to ignore harassment and reclaim the public space.