One cannot ignore the overwhelming presence of remarkable women in every industry. As a young woman, it is truly encouraging to witness the work of strong women breaking stereotypes and emerging as the best in their fields. Women truly are bosses who can lead and can create waves in any industry. Not only shattering glass ceilings, but they can also roll out the red carpet and pave the way for future generations. Whether it’s Tapsee’s exceptional comebacks or Genelia’s family goals or Nirmala Sitharaman’s view of the nation, these fantastic women are here to inspire you to excel in whatever you do! Here are 13 amazing August-born Indian women that are truly inspiring the whole world!
13 Awe-Inspiring August-Born Queens
1. Taapsee Pannu
Tapsee is a Bollywood actress who has created a space of her own in the film industry. With her choice of strong roles and a personality that refuses to take trolling and false criticism lying down, Taapsee is a star in her own right. Be it her statements, interviews, or simple tweets and responses to random trolls, Taapsee always wins the day with her sarcastic, smart and witty words. After appearing in several South Indian films, Pannu got noticed for her performance in the courtroom drama Pink, which was a critical and commercial success.
It was followed by the war drama The Ghazi Attack (2017), the action thriller Naam Shabana (2017), Mulk (2018) and many more. Apart from acting, Pannu runs an event management company called The Wedding Factory along with her sister Shagun and a friend. She is also the owner of the badminton franchise Pune 7 Aces, which plays in the Premier Badminton League. She is also vocal about several social and political issues.
For portraying the septuagenarian sharpshooter Prakashi Tomar in the biopic Saand Ki Aankh (2019), she won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. In 2020, Pannu received widespread praise for her role in Anubhav Sinha’s Thappad, and the performance gave her her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She has also been featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2018. Taapsee Pannu turned 34 on August 1. The Thappad actress had a working birthday as she is shooting for her film Blurr in Nainital.
2. Meena Kumari
If there is an actor in the Hindi film industry whose life and career followed a diametrically opposite trajectory, it would have to be the tragedy queen of the Indian screen — Meena Kumari. She passed away at the young age of 38 in 1972 from cirrhosis of the liver. Born into penury as Mahjabeen, Meena was the second daughter of harmonium player Ali Bux and singer Iqbal Banu, both of whom worked in Hindi films. The constant financial strain on the family meant that young Meena was forced into acting as a child actor, aged about four. Her first role was in Vijay Bhatt’s Leatherface when it was released in 1939.
Her cherubic appearance, confident screen presence and competent acting soon got her more offers as a child actor in films like Adhuri Kahani (1939), Pooja (1940) and Ek Hi Bhool (1940), to name a few. Kumari has won 4 Filmfare awards. Meena Kumari was a sensitive soul but a confident working woman who found herself at loggerheads with the conservatism that defined her existence.
3. Kajol
“Kuch kuch hota hai Rahul, tum nahi samjhogey.” Rings a bell? From Baazigar, DDLJ, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Dilwale and Tanhaji, Kajol’s acting prowess and fashion evolution are an upward graph that’s unfolded in front of our eyes. Kajol made her acting debut with Bekhudi (1992), while still in school. She subsequently quit her studies and had her first commercial success with Baazigar (1993), opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Following a breakthrough role in Yeh Dillagi (1994). Kajol’s highest-grossing release came with the period film Tanhaji in 2020.
She has been described in the media as one of the most successful actresses in the history of Hindi cinema and is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Filmfare Awards, among which she holds the record for most Best Actress awards. In 2011, she was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of the country, by the Government of India.
Here are styling tips from Kajol’s lookbook that you must include in your closet.
4. Genelia D’Souza
She is an Indian film actress and model. She predominantly appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil films. After gaining wide attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, Genelia began her acting career with the box-office hit Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003. She was recognized for her role in Boys the same year and later established herself in Telugu cinema by acting in several Telugu films.
Genelia received her first Filmfare Award in 2006 for her performance in the Telugu romantic film, Bommarillu, which earned her critical acclaim. In 2008, she gave critically acclaimed performances in Santosh Subramaniam, a Tamil remake of Bommarillu, and the Bollywood movie Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na. She is currently not working on any projects, but her social media presence with her husband and kids is the best! Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia DSouza are one of the most loved couples in Bollywood who have won fans over with their loving display of affection on social media.
5. Jacqueline Fernandez
Jacqueline Fernandez is a Sri Lankan actress, former model and the winner of the Miss Universe Sri Lanka pageant of 2006 who predominantly works in Hindi films. Apart from being an inspirational actress, Jacqueline is also well known for her million-dollar smile and infectious jovial personality. Jacqueline began her Bollywood career with the 2009 film Aladin opposite Riteish Deshmukh. The role fetched her the Best Debutante prize at the IIFA and Stardust awards in 2010. There was no looking back for the Sri Lankan beauty after Aladin. She continues to work in films like Murder 2, Race, Housefull, Kick and many more.
Jacqueline Fernandez made her web debut in Netflix’s Mrs Serial Killer. The series also featured Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role. The actress was last seen in the popular track Paani Paani with Badshah. Her upcoming projects include Bachchan Pandey and Ram Setu with Akshay Kumar and Cirkus with Ranveer Singh. She awaits the release of Bhoot Police with Arjun Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Yami Gautam.
6. Sara Ali Khan
The Pataudi granddaughter arrived in Bollywood and charmed us all. Sara Ali Khan is a fresh breath of air because of her wits, Nawabi grace, forever folded hands in namaste, and lively personality. She debuted in Kedarnath alongside Sushant Singh Rajput and matched Ranveer Singh’s energy on-screen in Simmba.
In 2019, Khan appeared in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list, ranking 66th. She is also a celebrity endorser for several brands and products, including Fanta, Puma, and Veet. Up next, she’ll be seen in Atrangi Re, directed by Aanand L Rai and co-starring Akshay Kumar and Dhanush.
7. Sridevi
Late actress Sridevi needs no introduction as her unparalleled talent and charm have marked her presence in the history of Indian cinema like no one else. With her work, she inspired millions of people and will keep inspiring for generations to come. In a career that spanned five decades, she had worked in more than 300 films and almost all were super-duper hits at the box office. Sridevi ranked as the highest-paid actress in the Indian entertainment industry during the 1980s and 1990s and became the first female ‘Superstar’.
She made her Hindi film debut at age 9 with Rani Mera Naam and then never stopped, her last film was Mom in 2017. At the time of her death, Sridevi was not shooting for any upcoming films and her last on-screen appearance was in Aanand L. Rai’s film Zero (2018) in a cameo. In 2013, she was awarded Padma Shri – India’s fourth-highest civilian award from the Government of India. Her down-to-earth nature, versatile acting, and path-breaking opinions can never be forgotten.
8. Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer. Born in Delhi, she began performing in local gatherings at the age of four. The singer, who is still in demand for Bollywood films, had started her career at the mere age of 11. She even left her schooling to pursue her passion, and today, Sunidhi can croon in Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Odiya, Tamil as well as Telugu.
Sunidhi has even gone on to make her name internationally. She had collaborated with pop star Enrique Iglesias, becoming the first and only Indian to join hands with the singer so far. More so, Chauhan has even crooned for Microsoft back in 2007 with the Windows Vista Song ‘Wow is Now‘. Sunidhi Chauhan has also sung the track ‘Reach Out‘ at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games which was held in Doha, Qatar. Throughout her career, Chauhan has had several honours and awards, including three Filmfare Awards: two for “Best Female Playback” and one RD Burman Award for New Music Talent.
9. Rakhee Gulzar
Rakhee Gulzar is an Indian film actress who has appeared in many Hindi films and Bengali films as well. She debuted in the Bengali film Bodhu Boron in 1967 with Geeta Dutta in the lead role. Her first Hindi film was Jeevan Mrityu in 1970. In 1971, Rakhee played a double role opposite Shashi Kapoor in Sharmilee, and also starred in Lal Patthar and Paras; all three films became hits and she established herself as a leading actress in Hindi Cinema.
Towards the late 1980s and 1990s, she played strong character roles as the elderly mother or a woman of principles in commercially successful films such as Ram Lakhan, Anari, Baazigar, Khalnayak, Karan Arjun, Border and more. In the 2019 Kolkata International Film Festival, the film Nirbon directed by Goutam Halder premiered, where Rakhee portrayed the role of Bijolibala, a seventy years old lady with a strong conviction. In four decades of acting, she has won three Filmfare Awards and one National Film Award, apart from many other awards.
10. Nirmala Sitharaman
Nirmala Sitharaman was born in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli on August 18, 1959. She is an Indian economist and politician serving as the current Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs of India. She is a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, since 2014. Sitharaman formerly served as the Defence Minister of India, thereby becoming India’s second female defence minister and also the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi and the first full-time female Finance Minister.
She has served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs under the Ministry of Finance and the Minister for Commerce and Industry with independent charge. She is at the forefront of pioneering reforms that are aimed at transforming the Indian economy and fulfilling the dream of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
11. Sudha Murty
Acclaimed author and philanthropist Sudha Murty is a perfect example of how a woman or any person can successfully chase a time-consuming career and yet also manage to serve society in any which way possible. Murthy is the Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, where she works with people from different walks of life and is also an Indian engineering teacher. She believes that the purpose of her life is to serve people.
She has helped thousands rebuild their battered lives, helped rehabilitate sex workers, provide education to the underprivileged and helped to build hospitals, schools, orphanages, and rehabilitation centres, as well as more than 14,000 toilets and over 60,000 libraries for the underprivileged sections of the society. Apart from being the first female engineer to be hired by TELCO, she also won the Padma Shri from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006, and the RK Narayan Award for Literature.
12. Vaani Kapoor
Vaani is an Indian actress known for her work in Hindi films and Tamil films. She left many spellbound after starring in her debut film Shuddh Desi Romance in 2013, a critical and commercial success, which earned her Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Later she marked her debut in the Tamil film Aaha Kalyanam (2014). She is known for her work in the film Befikre (2016) opposite Ranveer Singh and in the Spy film War (2019) with Hrithik Roshan. The film is her most successful film among all her films released so far.
She turned 33 on August 23 and is basking on the success of her recent release Bell Bottom. Vaani has big entertainers like Shamshera with Ranbir Kapoor and Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui with Ayushmann Khurrana in her kitty.
13. Gauhar Khan
She started her career as a model and participated in the Femina Miss India contest in 2002.
Although appearing in item songs, Khan made her acting debut with Yash Raj Films’ Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009). Khan later starred in films such as the action thriller Game (2011), the revenge drama Ishaqzaade (2012), the suspense thriller Fever (2016), the romantic comedy Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017) and the Indian period drama Begum Jaan (2017). In 2013, she participated in Bigg Boss 7 and emerged as the winner. She got married to Zaid Darbar in December 2020 and can be seen with a great social media presence. Her latest work in 14 Phere has garnered her some much-needed appreciation.
