Today is the first of August. It is hot, steamy and wet. It is raining. I am tempted to write a poem.
Short story writer, novelist
Bharat Ratna recipient
Actress
The man who designed the national tri-colour
Chemist, educationist, and historian
Social activist, educator; Founder of Barefoot College
Captain of the Indian football team; Among top-five international goal scorers
Chairman of the Piramal group
Represented India at the Olympics for swimming
One of the most dynamic singers in Bollywood history
Film director, screenwriter, music composer
One of the founding members and President of the INC
Co-founder of Flipkart
One of the most successful actresses in Hindi cinema
Thespian, actor
Writer of mythological fiction
One-half of music composer duo Nadeem-Shravan
Water conservationist, environmentalist
TV show host
Father of 'Green Revolution'
Director, actor, playwright
90s VJ and Host of 'The Week that Wasn't'
Silver in Tokyo 2020
Actor and producer in Malayalam and Tamil cinema
Playwright in Hindi, actor; famous for novel and screenplay for 'Tamas'
First Indian woman gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games
Telugu actor, producer
Librarian and mathematician
Jnanpith award winning writer, professor
Fourth president of India, Bharat Ratna recipient
Rapper who broke into the mainstream with the song "Mere Gully Mein"
Fourth-youngest person to achieve the title of grandmaster
Neuroscientist and inventor of the Mirror Box
Astronomer
Choreographer
Ghatam player
Former RBI governor
Mycologist; seven species of fungi have been named after him
Father of India's space program
Cardio surgeon; founder of Escorts Heart Institute & Research Centre
Historian of ancient and medieval India
Superstar of cinema
Economic historian, Civil servant
Actress, dancer
Motorcycle racing world title winner
Playback singer
Journalist; former High Commissioner of India to the UK
Comedian, actor in movies such as Baazigar, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Philosopher; co-founder of Auroville
Hotelier
Hunter-turned-conservationist
Made his debut as a director with the television series Circus
Actor, producer
Found of Aam Aadmi Party; Magsaysay Award recipient
Patriotic poet, who wrote in Hindi; Jhansi ki Rani is one of her famous works
Director in Tamil cinema; one of the highest paid in the country
Former Governor of RBI
Poet, lyricist, screenwriter, director
First woman president of the UN General Assembly
Bhangra pop singer, and songwriter
CEO of Microsoft
Silver in London 2012 in shooting
9th President of India
Co-founder of Infosys
Youngest PM of India (at 40 yo)
Chess champion; International Master and Woman Grandmaster
Novelist associated with the progressive movement of Urdu
First Indian woman (sailing) to qualify for the Olympics
News anchor at Aaj Tak
Actor, producer, former politician
Painter, sculptor
LGBT activist, especially for transgender men
First Indian/Asian to win Miss World
Meteorologist
Actress from the 60s and early 70s
Youngest-trained Stott Pilates instructor in the world
Educationist, journalist, freedom fighter; 'Kerala Gandhi'
Geologist; First Indian to serve as Director of GSI
First woman to win gold in Commonwealth and Asian games
Actor and politician
Six-time Winter Olympian (in luge)
'Brutalist' and modernist architect
Founder of Missionaries of Charity
Founder of Hero Cycles and Hero Motors
Founder of The Print
First Indian fencer to qualify for Summer Olympics
Nadaswaram maestro
The Great Khali'; first Indian heavyweight champion - WWE
First Indian javelin thrower to win a medal (bronze) - Commonwealth Games
Sitar player
One of the most accomplished Urdu poets in India
Hockey wizard
Ace shooter; First Indian world number one
Actor, producer, entrepreneur
Pioneered research on the scientific foundations of yoga
Novelist who wrote in Hindi
Lyricist for a number of Raj Kapoor movies
Recipient of the 1956 Sahitya Akademi Award
Film director, writer, actor
One of the first Indian chefs to receive a Michelin star - London, 2001
