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Iconic Indians: 75 Extraordinary Individuals Who Inspired the Country
‘…by Sanjeev Sanyal and Rajesh Singh is a fitting tribute to 75 iconic Indians, some lesser known, who have shaped modern India.’ —BIBEK DEBROY
The India that we see today is the result of 75 years of effort by a large number of remarkable men and women spanning across different generations, geographies and fields of endeavour.
Iconic Indians: 75 Extraordinary Individuals Who Inspired the Country celebrates 75 Indians who played an important role in transforming an impoverished former colony into an increasingly confident and rapidly growing nation. Chosen from diverse fields such as politics, sports, arts, defence, business, entertainment, science and environment, this collection of essays examines the personal journeys of these exceptional individuals, including not just their successes but also their self-doubt, failures and even their disagreements with each other.
While many of them are household names, several are remarkable characters who made major contributions in their time but have faded from public memory. Through these narratives, the book simultaneously tells the wider story of how India traversed the first 75 years of Independence.
An excellent primer on the stalwarts who have made the nation what it is today, this book is a must-read for every person interested in the past, present and future of India.
The India that we see today is the result of 75 years of effort by a large number of remarkable men and women spanning across different generations, geographies and fields of endeavour.
Iconic Indians: 75 Extraordinary Individuals Who Inspired the Country celebrates 75 Indians who played an important role in transforming an impoverished former colony into an increasingly confident and rapidly growing nation. Chosen from diverse fields such as politics, sports, arts, defence, business, entertainment, science and environment, this collection of essays examines the personal journeys of these exceptional individuals, including not just their successes but also their self-doubt, failures and even their disagreements with each other.
While many of them are household names, several are remarkable characters who made major contributions in their time but have faded from public memory. Through these narratives, the book simultaneously tells the wider story of how India traversed the first 75 years of Independence.
An excellent primer on the stalwarts who have made the nation what it is today, this book is a must-read for every person interested in the past, present and future of India.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
360 pages, Hardcover
Published October 5, 2022
13 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Sanjeev Sanyal
18 books594 followersSanjeev Sanyal is an economist, urban theorist and writer. He grew up in Sikkim, Kolkata and Delhi before heading off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He spent the tumultuous summer of 1993 in South Africa as it transitioned from apartheid, and then extensively travelled through Guatemala as it emerged from civil war. These experiences made him a keen observer of rapidly changing societies, an interest that reflects in many of his varied writings.
Sanjeev spent most of his adult life battling international financial markets, a few years in Mumbai and many in Singapore. One day in 2008, mostly on a whim, he decided to move back to India and travel all over the country with his family. This resulted in his hugely popular second book, Land of the Seven Rivers. Then in 2011, again for no particular reason, he went back to finance and took up a role as the global strategist of one of the world’s largest banks. He also spent the next few years exploring the Indian Ocean rim—Oman, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Vietnam, Indonesia, and up and down India’s coastline. These travels resulted in The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History.
Currently Sanjeev lives in New Delhi where he serves as the principal economic adviser to the Indian government.
Sanjeev spent most of his adult life battling international financial markets, a few years in Mumbai and many in Singapore. One day in 2008, mostly on a whim, he decided to move back to India and travel all over the country with his family. This resulted in his hugely popular second book, Land of the Seven Rivers. Then in 2011, again for no particular reason, he went back to finance and took up a role as the global strategist of one of the world’s largest banks. He also spent the next few years exploring the Indian Ocean rim—Oman, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Vietnam, Indonesia, and up and down India’s coastline. These travels resulted in The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History.
Currently Sanjeev lives in New Delhi where he serves as the principal economic adviser to the Indian government.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 16, 2022
An excellent collection of short biographies of 75 amazing individuals who had a long-standing impact on India and her position a power to reckon with in the modern world. Individuals across the varied spectrum of Politics, Sports, Music, Social Issues, Movies & Military heroes make up for the book.
This book is highly recommended to young readers to draw inspiration from and to chart their own course to contribute to the great nation, India.
This book is highly recommended to young readers to draw inspiration from and to chart their own course to contribute to the great nation, India.
November 29, 2022
Years ago I read - and enjoyed - Simon Sebag Montefiore's Titans of History. (Time permitting, I wish to re-read it. Incidentally, Montefiore's Jerusalem: The Biography is one of my all-time favorite books.) Reading Titans left in me a lingering desire, if there was a book like Titans of Indian History!
Sanjeev Sanyal and Rajesh Singh's book partially quenches that thirst. Partially because the scope and ambition of Sanjeev-babu and Rajesh-ji's book is much limited. And also because the authors have concentrated only on those Indians whose active working life spanned last seventy five years.
Still, the book makes for absorbing reading.
Predictably, any list of "iconic" individuals is bound to be subjective in its choice. All of us will have some of our heroes who are missing in this book. All of us will find some individuals whose exclusion we would not have minded. Authors are, admittedly, aware of that limitation. But we will largely, if not wholly, agree with their choices.
The list starts with the country's first Prime Minister and ends with the current incumbent.
It has individuals who will be in any Indian's list like Lata Mangeshkar or Amitabh Bachchan or Sachin Tendulkar.
It has individuals whom we respect but, today, do not know much about their life and work like, say, Homi Jehangir Bhabha or Sam Manekshaw.
And it has individuals we have forgotten about, like Mihir Sen whom Guinness Book calls 'world's greatest long distance swimmer' or the scientist Sambhu Nath De, who discovered cholera toxin and was nominated for the Noble Prize in Medicine multiple times.
The photo that accompanies each sketch has enhanced the attraction of the book. Some are indeed heart-warmimg. Like the 1958 photograph of Indira Gandhi. The grace and elegance of the former Prime Minister will give any latter-day tinsel town diva a run for her money. Or the photo of the down-to-earth Sachin karta with baby Rahul in arms.
A humble suggestion. Whenever you feel a little down pick up this book and read a few of the little life-sketches here. It will make you feel good about yourself.
It feels great that we share this country with these remarkable men and women (of course, there are many more). Because, seventy five years after 1947, they have, each in his or her unique way, contributed in making what we are today. Whether it is Verghese Kurien or APJ Abdul Kalam. MS Subbulakshmi or Mohammed Rafi.
Iconic Indians: 75 Extraordinary Individuals who Inspired the Country is an excellent read.
Sanjeev Sanyal and Rajesh Singh's book partially quenches that thirst. Partially because the scope and ambition of Sanjeev-babu and Rajesh-ji's book is much limited. And also because the authors have concentrated only on those Indians whose active working life spanned last seventy five years.
Still, the book makes for absorbing reading.
Predictably, any list of "iconic" individuals is bound to be subjective in its choice. All of us will have some of our heroes who are missing in this book. All of us will find some individuals whose exclusion we would not have minded. Authors are, admittedly, aware of that limitation. But we will largely, if not wholly, agree with their choices.
The list starts with the country's first Prime Minister and ends with the current incumbent.
It has individuals who will be in any Indian's list like Lata Mangeshkar or Amitabh Bachchan or Sachin Tendulkar.
It has individuals whom we respect but, today, do not know much about their life and work like, say, Homi Jehangir Bhabha or Sam Manekshaw.
And it has individuals we have forgotten about, like Mihir Sen whom Guinness Book calls 'world's greatest long distance swimmer' or the scientist Sambhu Nath De, who discovered cholera toxin and was nominated for the Noble Prize in Medicine multiple times.
The photo that accompanies each sketch has enhanced the attraction of the book. Some are indeed heart-warmimg. Like the 1958 photograph of Indira Gandhi. The grace and elegance of the former Prime Minister will give any latter-day tinsel town diva a run for her money. Or the photo of the down-to-earth Sachin karta with baby Rahul in arms.
A humble suggestion. Whenever you feel a little down pick up this book and read a few of the little life-sketches here. It will make you feel good about yourself.
It feels great that we share this country with these remarkable men and women (of course, there are many more). Because, seventy five years after 1947, they have, each in his or her unique way, contributed in making what we are today. Whether it is Verghese Kurien or APJ Abdul Kalam. MS Subbulakshmi or Mohammed Rafi.
Iconic Indians: 75 Extraordinary Individuals who Inspired the Country is an excellent read.
Read
January 31, 202375 Iconic Indians told in a brief. A Good book to understand some of the greatest individuals to be born in this blessed land.
August 3, 2023
Here i complete yet another book by Sanjeev sanyal written on the occasion of completion of 75 years of bharats independence.. The book is an overview of 75 extraordinary bharatiya who influenced and inspired the country..The book gives crisp and "to the point" summaries and unbiased overview of their biography and achievements..The unique peculiarity of sanyals books is always the" easy to grasp"language and concise but important written matter..which makes the reader easily finish the books fast yet imbibe a lot of knowledge which the reader would be never aware of.. The authors have covered individuals not only from politics but also from wide areas like art, literature, sports, entertainment, science and environment, and most importantly military and defence.. Have you ever heard of padmanabh Gautam, yogendra singh yadav, Mahendra nath mulla, sagat singh..who played important role in our battles against our neighbours like Kargil wars.. The summary of each of these personalities is not more than 4 pages which makes reader easy to read the book.. The book is a review of the course of 75 years post independence through the narrations and review of these 75 people.. It tells about those people who made remarkable contributions during that time but names faded from public memory..
The book is an excellent overview of the important contributors who have made the bharat what it is today post independence..
The book can be read during one's leisure times.it is an excellent book also for students who want to know Indian history post independence..Read the book so that our future generations are aware of these personalities before the names get erased from the minds of future generations..
The book is an excellent overview of the important contributors who have made the bharat what it is today post independence..
The book can be read during one's leisure times.it is an excellent book also for students who want to know Indian history post independence..Read the book so that our future generations are aware of these personalities before the names get erased from the minds of future generations..
May 16, 2025
Big picture:
Short biography / achievements of 75 extra-ordinary Indians
Have covered icons from all walks of life - Politics, Sports, Literature, Defence and Bollywood to name a few
Review:
Should be shared with young Indians as a quick primer of key influencers that have shaped India post-independence
Brief summaries making it an easy read
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews