Indian Women With Offbeat Careers

Leaving behind the social customs of merely being labelled as good wives, home makers and mothers , Indian women have time and again taken up chores essentially thought of being male-only, and proved that they are equal to their male counterparts, sometimes even better.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we bring to you the list of women who dared to step in the fields dominated by men and gave them tough challenges in terms of success and recognition.

Durgabai Kamat and Kamlabai Gokhale
Known as the first female actors of Indian cinema, this mother-daughter duo is always regarded with utmost honour for breaking the stereotype of only male actors in the profession of performing arts. Starring together in Mohini Bhasmasura, the second venture of the legend Dadasaheb Phalke, they were cast as Mohini and Parvati, respectively. Both of them went on to become established actresses and their family members are still a part of the industry, veteran marathi actor Vikram Gokhale being one of them.

Karnam Malleswari
Born in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, Karnam is the most recognised woman Indian weightlifter. In a glorious career spanning over 10 years, she has won 11 gold and 3 silver medals, and a much-celebrated Olympic bronze in 2000 Summer Olympics. Known for her physique, skills and technique, she is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, first woman recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, and also a recipient of Padma Shri and Arjuna Award. Nowadays, she runs her own academy, training others to do what she did and bring fame to the country.

MC Mary Kom
Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, better known as MC Mary Kom, needs no introduction. A five-time World Boxing champion, she is the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships, a matter of sheer pride to the country. She achieved her much-awaited fame when she won the bronze medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. A recipient of Padma Bhushan, Arjuna Award, Padma Shree, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, she has also penned down an autobiography called Unbreakable and is all set to be played by Priyanka Chopra in her biopic.

Zoya Akhtar
Belonging to an influential family of Bollywood, with screenwriter lyricist Javed Akhtar as her father, screenwriter Honey Irani as her mother, producer-director-actor Farhan Akhtar as her brother and the talenthouse Shabana Azmi as her stepmother, it was obvious for Zoya to be a part of the industry but nobody had thought that this shy girl would one day become the most celebrated woman director of India. With critically acclaimed films like Luck By Chance and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara for her track record, she is very much a part of the young brigade of the industry.

Premlata Agarwal
Perhaps the most unheard name in the list, Premlata Agarwal is a mountain climber, who is mostly remembered as the oldest Indian woman to have scaled Mount Everest. Not only this, she is also the first Indian woman to scale the Seven Summits, the ultimate dream for any mountaineer. For her contributions, the Indian government facilitated her with Padma Shri in 2013.