Udisha
Annapurna Devi
Her contribution to Indian classical music is unparalleled, but history has a habit of forgetting women. Despite the challenges, she was one of the first women to be a virtuoso in an instrument, the surbahar. The daughter of Ustad Allauddin Khan, she continuously challenged the male hegemony inherent in the community.
M.S. Subbulakshmi
A doyen of Carnatic Music, she ruled the stage in the mid 20th century, challenging gender discrimination in the field of Indian classical music. Her grit and passion for the art made her the first musician to be awarded India's highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna.
Begum Akhtar
The history of Indian classical music will be incomplete without the "Mallika-e-Ghazal". She faced immense discrimination for her transgressive genre of music; she brought the private ghazal mehfils to the public stage. Besides ghazals, she redefined the thumri and dadra genres, challenging the gender hierarchy and domination of the musical forms.
Kishori Amonkar
One of the foremost classical performers in India, she pioneered the light classical genres. Belonging to the Jaipur Gharana, the Vidushi went beyond music to demand equality within the community.
Sharan Rani Backliwal
Dubbed the "Sarod Queen", she emerged as a talented instrumentalist and was among the very first women to establish her name all over the world as an esteemed and talented sarod player. It is especially important because classical instrument continues to be a male-dominated area.