Ritika Seth illustrates and profiles those who have enriched the country’s cultural landscape with outstanding work and in the process have been recognised with the country’s most prestigious award. Literature, Music and Film-making are the areas where these stalwarts have left their imprint and have given India their distinctive cultural identity.
India, a country known for its rich cultural heritage, has been home to numerous individuals who have significantly contributed to the fields of literature, music, art and other artistic realms. Their exceptional work and service have not only enriched India’s cultural landscape but have also earned them the highest civilian honour of the country – the Bharat Ratna.
In the field of literature, several Bharat Ratna laureates have left an indelible mark. One of the first names that come to mind is that of C. Rajagopalachari, or Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, an activist of the Indian independence movement and a prolific writer who touched lives of thousands of individuals.
His books, Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which retold the two great Indian epics, are still widely read and loved by avid readers. Mahabharata was first published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1958 and the book is an abridged English retelling of Vyas’ Mahabharata. Ramayana was first published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1957 and is the abridged English retelling of the Valmiki Ramayana.
Rajaji founded the Salem Literary Society and wrote in English and his mother tongue, Tamil. He published Siraiyil Tavam (Meditation in jail) in 1922 which documented his days in jail. He also wrote several books on other scriptures and ancient scrolls including on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, etc. For his retelling of Ramayana – Chakravarti Thirumagan, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958.
He also translated the Thirukkural (a classic Tamil language text consisting of 1,330 kurals, of seven words each) into English, as well as wrote on works of Socrates (a Greek philosopher from Athens) and Marcus Aurelius (a Roman emperor and a Stoic philosopher) in Tamil.
Later, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan published his book ‘Hinduism: Doctrine and Way of Life’ in 1959. His contributions to literature and public life were recognised with the Bharat Ratna in 1954.
Pioneer of Indian music
The field of music has seen the conferral of the Bharat Ratna on two exceptional artists. M.S. Subbulakshmi or Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi, a pioneer in the world of Carnatic music, was the first musician ever to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1998.
She was born on 16 September 1916 in Madurai (then Madras Presidency) in a family of musicians. She was born to Veena player Shanmukavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer and her grandmother Akkammal was a violinist. At a very young age, her training of Carnatic music started and later she learnt Hindustani music as well.
She travelled to many countries as India’s cultural ambassador giving music performances in USA, Canada, UK, Russia, etc. including a performance at the UN General Assembly on UN day in 1966. She passed away in 2004 but her soulful renditions continue to captivate audiences, keeping the tradition of Carnatic music alive.
Another recipient in the field of music was Assamese singer and music director Bhupen Hazarika. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019. He wore many other caps as he was a lyricist, poet, actor, filmmaker, educator and a politician. He was popularly known as Sudha Kontho which translates to ‘one with nectar in throat’.
Born in 1926 in Assam (British India), Bhupendra Hazarika’s music was as prolific as him and the songs he created and sung were thematically based on higher values of brotherhood and humanity.
Hazarika started his professional life by working in the All India Radio in Guwahati. He had finished his master’s degree and soon after went to Columbia University for the doctoral studies. After a brief teaching stint, he moved to Kolkata to embark on a career in music. He not only composed and sung songs that time but also made films.
The list would be incomplete without the mention of India`s nightingale Lata Mangeshkar who received the Bharat Ratna in 2001. In a career spanning eight decades, she received love, accolades and innumerable awards including the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Born on 28 September 1929 in Indore (British India) to Deenanath Mangeshkar, a Marathi and Konkani classical singer and Shevanti (later renamed Shudhamati), a Gujarati from Thalner in the-then Bombay Presidency, Lata Mangeshkar started her singing career at a very young age and moved to Mumbai in 1945 to train under the tutelage of Ustad Aman Ali Khan.
Her enduring legacy and her role as an inspiration for aspiring singers are undeniable. The Bharat Ratna bestowed upon her is rightfully acknowledged as a well-deserved recognition of her outstanding achievements in the field of arts and her invaluable contributions to Indian music. Her voice and musical prowess have left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of India, making her a revered figure in the world of music.
Taking art worldwide
One of the most acclaimed and influential artist and filmmaker of all times, Satyajit Ray was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1992. He held many talents including being a film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, calligrapher, etc. His films are classics that have inspired generations of filmmakers and cinephiles.
Born in 1921, Satyajit Ray was also very instrumental in putting Indian cinema and India on the world map. His films and works have been received and admired across the world. He is considered by many as one of the greatest filmmakers in the world.
Ray’s directorial debut was in 1955 with the Bengali film Pather Panchali that went on to garner international acclaim and awards. His other works include The Apu Trilogy, The Music Room, etc.
In an illustrious career spanning a decade, Satyajit Ray was recognised by many organisations and he received many awards in India and across the world. These include 36 National Film Awards given by the government of India and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. He passed away in 1992 and the same year he was honoured with the Bharat Ratna by the government of India.
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that is celebrated every year in Goa also honoured the great director in its own way. On the occasion of his birth centenary, in 2021, IFFI renamed its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.
A multi-talented artist, Ray also composed music for many of his films and wrote the screenplay as well. He also wrote other books and novels. His influence on Indian cinema and his contribution of taking it to the world are still celebrated today. His legacy continues to inspire several filmmakers around the world.
Promoting India
Born in Ratnagiri (Bombay Presidency) in 1880, Pandurang Vaman Kane was a Sanskrit scholar, Indologist, historian and an academician. For his outstanding contribution he was given the Bharat Ratna in 1963.
He is best known for his five-volume treatise on law in ancient and medieval India, known as History of Dharmaśāstra, for which he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956. He served as the University of Mumbai Vice Chancellor and was an honorary member of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He was also rewarded with the highest title for a teacher, Mahamahopadhyaya.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was a prominent classical singer from India. He was born in 1922 in Karnataka and as a child, was fascinated with music. He received many awards in his lifetime including the Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Padma Vibhushan, Karnataka Ratna and the Bharat Ratna in 2009.
Ustad Bismillah Khan was an Indian musician who popularised shehnai around the world. He was born in 1916 in Dumraon, Shahabad district (Bihar and Orissa Province of British India). His father, and before him two grandfathers, were musicians in the Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh’s court of Dumraon Estate in Bihar. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2001.
Acclaimed sitar player and composer Ravi Shankar was one of the most popular faces of Indian classical music in the world. He was born Ravindra Shankar Chowdhury in 1920 in Benares State of British India. After a rigorous training, he started performing in Europe and USA and with it began the popularisation of Indian classical music in the 1960s. He received several prestigious awards in India and in other nations; and the Bharat Ratna in 1999.