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 MAHATMA
GANDHI
At a time when political chicanery, communal hatred, naked greed
and widespread malfeasance gnaw into the vitals of India, Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi's name is still invoked at every available opportunity.
Sadly, however, his ideals have been mothballed. His vision is more
relevant today than ever before, but does our ruling class have
the courage admit as much and initiate corrective measures? |
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 SATYAJIT
RAY
When he arrived on the scene, Indian cinema was still stuck in the
dark ages. It was he lifted it out of the morass and gave it respectability
as an art form. Indian cinema may have a long, long way since then,
but the relevance of his kind of cinema – cinema that is truly
cinema, not just a mish-mash of naach-gaana and rona-dhona –
hasn't diminished one bit |
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 MADHUBALA
In the age of silicone breasts and heavy-duty designer wear, what
could be more refreshing than a glimpse of those dancing eyes and
the mischievous, lop-sided smile that Madhubala charmed her audiences
with. Had she made her entry into filmdom now, stress managers would
be out of work!
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 SMITA
PATIL
She was one of the finest screen actresses of her generation. Though
her eventful career was cut short by untimely death, Smita Patil's
smouldering screen presence still haunts her fans. She combined
earthy sex appeal with natural acting talent to give Indian cinema
a few of its most memorable female characters. The void she left
is yet to be filled… |
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 MOTHER
TERESA
Since God could not be everywhere, He created mothers. Who could
better exemplify this adage than the beatific Albanian-born nun
who spread hope and succour among the poor and abandoned and the
sick and infirm? She was an apostle of love whose message of selfless
service to mankind is difficult to replicate – we are lesser
mortals – but it is definitely worth a try! |
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 INDIRA
GANDHI
Indira may not quite have been India, but India has never had a
Prime Minister quite like her. She may have had a hand in the genesis
of much that is wrong with the nation today, but there was something
about the no-nonsense lady that inspired confidence. As governance
touches its nadir and blatant skulduggery replaces political gamesmanship,
the collective wish of all Indians could well be: If only Indira
Gandhi were here today! |
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 SARDAR
PATEL
As disillusionment with Indian politicians peaks among the people,
one name that keeps cropping up is that of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The Iron Man of India held his ground when a fledgling nation was
in danger of going to pieces in the years immediately after Independence.
His strength and sagacity ensured that it didn't. Where are the
men of his ilk today? |
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 AZAHARUDDIN
His wrists were filled with magic, and when he whipped a ball from
the off stump towards the square leg boundary, it stayed hit and
elicited whoops of joy from spectators. Undoubtedly, Azhar was the
Almighty's gift to Indian cricket, a gift that was snatched away
by human avarice. The flawed hero gave so much pleasure so many
that the game isn't quite the same without him |
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 R
D BURMAN
Pancham was a music composer who was so well ahead of his time that,
nearly a decade after his death, Mumbai's tunesmiths continue to
filch from the sea of super sounds he created. He left the stage
in the prime of his life, perhaps unhappy with the direction Hindi
film music was taking, but he remains the touchstone against which
the work of all music directors will be judged for decades |
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