10 Most Famous People From Maharashtra
Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare is a social activist who was born and raised in Bhingar, Mumbai. He was the most visible leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, which resulted in a massive upheaval in the country’s political landscape. Hazare began his military career as a driver. He was discharged from the army after 12 years of service in 1975. He transformed a hopelessly impoverished village in Maharashtra’s Ahamad Nagar district, Ralegan Siddhi, into one of the richest in the country. In 1992, the government of India bestowed the Padma Bhushan upon him.
Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit, one of the most popular actresses in Indian cinema history, was born to a Marathi family in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She has over 35 years of experience in Indian cinema and has won six Filmfare awards, four of which were for best actress. She has starred in over 70 Bollywood films.
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar was born in Indore, MP, to a Marathi-speaking Gomantak Maratha family. Her family later relocated to Mumbai. Lata Mangeshkar, an Indian singer, and composer is one of the most well-known names in Indian music history. Mangeshkar began her singing career in 1942 and has spent the last seven decades of her life doing so. All these were bestowed upon Mangeshkar.
Bal Keshav Thackeray
Born in Pune, Maharashtra, Bal Keshav Thackeray was a prominent leader in Maharashtra during Independent India. He founded the Shiv Sena, an ethnocentric party that currently controls the Maharashtra state government. Bal Thackeray was known as the Hindu Hriday Samrat, which translates to “Emperor of the Hindu Hearts” by his followers.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer who was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra to a Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin Maharashtra family. He is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in one-day internationals. Tendulkar was a member of the 2011 Cricket World Cup-winning team. He was named player of the tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, is the all-time leading run-scorer in international cricket, and was the first batsman to score a double century in an ODI. In 1999, he was awarded the Padma Shri; in 2008, the Padma Vibhushan; and in 2018, the Bharat Ratna.
Shantanurao, Laxmanrao, Kirloskar
Shantanurao Laxmanrao Kirloskar, born in Sholapur, Maharashtra, was an Indian businessman who was instrumental in the rapid growth of the Kirloskar Group, creating a business empire with one of the highest growth rates in Indian history. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1965. In May 2003, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee issued a commemorative postage stamp commemorating Kirloskar’s 100th birthday.
B.R. Ambedkar
Ambedkar was born into a Malhar family in Mhow (now officially known as Ambedkar Nagar and in Madhyapradesh) to a Marathi family. Because they were Dalits, Ambedkar and his family faced a lot of discrimination. Despite being a brilliant student, he received little to no assistance from his teachers at school, where he was forced to sit apart from the rest of his classmates. He eventually made it to Columbia University and the London School of Economics, where he received doctorates from both institutions. Back in India, he inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and worked to end the systemic oppression that had denied his community equal opportunities. He was the first Minister of Law and Justice in independent India and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. In a poll conducted in 2012 by History TV18 and CNN IBN, Ambedkar was voted “The Greatest Indian,” making him one of Maharashtra’s most famous citizens.
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma was born in Nagpur into a low-income family and was raised by his uncles and grandparents, only seeing his parents on weekends, who lived in a one-room house in Dombivli. Despite adversity, Sharma rose through the ranks with sheer determination, eventually making it to the Indian national team. He is currently the Indian national team’s vice-captain and the captain of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Nana Patekar
Nana Patekar is an Indian actor best known for his work in Hindi and Marathi films. He was born in Murud-Janjira in the present-day Raigad district of Maharashtra. Other than Irrfan Khan, he is the only actor to have won Filmfare Awards for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Villain.
Homi Jehangir Bhabha
Homi Jehangir Bhabha was an Indian nuclear physicist who was born in Mumbai to a Parsi family. He was the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research’s founding director and a physics professor (TIFR). Bhabha is widely regarded as the father of India’s nuclear program. After his death, the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) was renamed the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. In 1954, Bhabha was awarded the Padma Bhushan. In 1951 and 1953-1956, he received a Nobel Prize nomination in Physics.
