CelebsPick: 5 near-forgotten heroes whose stories need a fresh retelling

In the age of biographies, five storytellers pick one personality they’d want to celebrate

Charity, at home
Shrikant Vad

“I’d make a film on badminton coach Shrikant Vad, who established the Syed Modi Badminton Academy at Thane in 1988. Vad Sir has been hiding behind a screen of anonymity for the last 32 years... picking students from challenged backgrounds and raising them in his modest house. They include eight Shiv Chhatrapati Award Winners.”

—Amole Gupte, filmmaker

Man on a mission
B N Rau

“B N Rau deserves a good biography. It was he who created a draft constitution for the Constituent Assembly, on the basis of which, BR Ambedkar finalised what is now our national book.”

—Manu Pillai, author

Princess diaries
Roshanara Begum

“Roshanara, Shah Jahan’s younger daughter, played a key role in the battle of succession as she sided with Aurangzeb instead of Dara Shukoh. Why did she go against the eldest brother and sister?”

—Rana Safvi, author

As you like it
Riyad Vincik Wadia

“I think a biopic is due on Riyad Vincik Wadia. His film BomGay was the first gay-themed movie from India. He died at a young age of 36 of AIDS. I remember him in the ’90s when we all used to party at Voodoo’s... one of the only night clubs then that would entertain the LGBT community. He was flamboyant and full of life. He was brave and open about his sexuality at that time. His story is inspiring and should be made into a film.”

—Onir, filmmaker

Different strokes
Farrukh Beg

“Farrukh Beg, an enigmatic and largely unknown Mughal painter of Persian origin who worked in the ateliers of four different royal courts, deserves to be better known. His paintings are almost dream-like, hypnotic and other-worldly. His style changed in the course of a long career, under different influences, including the European painters, and he, in turn, completely altered the path of Deccan painting.”

—Ira Mukhoty, author

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From HT Brunch, November 24 2019

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