Sri Devi Ayyapan

Born as Sridevi Ayyapan on the 13th of August in 1963 at Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, she was a great Indian actress. She worked in a large number of Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Indian Actress Sridevi.

Life
Sridevi lost her father when she was shooting for the film Lamhe and mother, while shooting for the film Judaai. She lost her parents when she was very young. There was a rumor during the period between 1986 and 1987 that Sri Devi had an affair with the Bollywood actor Mithun Chakravorty. But, the relationship came to an end, when Mithun did not divorce his wife Yogita Bali. On June 2, 1996, Sridevi tied her wedding knots with the film producer Boney Kapoor. They have two daughters named Janvi and Khushi. She did a lot of films with her brother-in-law Anil Kapoor. Read on to know the complete life history of Sreedevi.

Film Career
Sridevi made her first public appearance as a child artist in the Tamil film Kandhan Karunai (1967). In the beginning of her career, she gave performances in numerous Tamil and Malayalam movies. Some of her best Malayalam movies are Aalinganam, Kuttavum Sikshaiyum, Aadhyapaadam, Aa Nimisham. In the year 1976, she got a major break in the Tamil movies in the lead role. Here, she got the opportunity to work with two great actors, namely Kamal Hassan and Rajnikanth.

In the year 1978, she made her entry in the Hindi films. Her debut Hindi film was Solva Saawan, which unfortunately did not succeed. But, her second film Himmatwala was a super duper hit. The movie made her a star overnight. Thereafter, she signed the film Sadma, which brought her lot of appreciation. During 1980s, she gave fabulous performances, which were admired by all. Her film Chandni was the biggest hit, which brought her in the list of one of the highest paid actresses of Bollywood. She worked in a number of films and has had a very prosperous career. After performing in Judaai, she took a break from the film industry, for upbringing her two daughters. After six years, she appeared on the small screen in a couple of TV serials.

Awards Won
FilmFare Award (South) for Tamil Film Meendum Kokila
Filmfare Best Actress Award for Chaalbaaz
Filmfare Best Actress Award for Lamhe
FilmFare Award for Telugu Film Kshana Kshanam

Other awards
Nandi Award for Telugu Film Kshana Kshanam
Giant Awards for Contribution to Hindi Cinema
MAMI Award for Excellent Contribution to Hindi Cinema
Vamsee Art Theatres International's Lifetime Achievement Award
Toronto Best Actress Award for Devaragam

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Hema Malini R. Chakravarty

Mini Biography
Hema Malini was born in a chakaravarthy family at Ammankudi in Tamilnadu. Her mother Jaya was a Tamil film producer. Hema Malini is a trained classical dancer and she has performed at a number of dance shows and concerts. Hema made her debut in Bollywood with the film "Sapno Ka Saudagar" opposite Raj Kapoor. Her next movie was "Johny Mera Naam" opposite Dev Anand. The movie "Johny Mera Naam" was super hit at box office and Hema became a top star. Hema Malini again worked with Deva Anand in the film "Tere Mere Sapne". Hema Malini played double role with Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar in the movie "Seeta Aur Geeta" which was also a successful film at box office. With these hit films she became one of the ruling divas in the Bollywood and her fans called her 'Dream Girl' of the Bollywood.

Though Hema had starred many hit movies in 70's and 80's but she is best remembered for her role in "Sholay" as talkative Tangewali. She had taken backseat from films for a few years and Hema joined politics, she is now a member of Rajya Sabha. Hema Malini had turned down marriage proposal from Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar before marrying her co-star Dharmendra. She has two daughters Esha and Aahan. Esha Deol is film actress and Aahan is set to enter Bollywood as film director. Besides acting in the films she had tried her hand at directing and made the film "Dil Ashna Hai" with Sharukh Khan and late Divya Bharti. Hema also directed and starred in the TV serial Noopur, in which she was depicted as a Bharatanatyam dancer going to America.

Filmography
Pandava Vanavasam, Sapnon Ka Saudagar, Waris, Jahan Pyar Mile, Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, Sharafat, Aansoo Aur Muskan, Johny Mera Naam, Paraya Dhan, Naya Zamana, Lal Patthar, Andaz, Tere Mere Sapne, Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, Gora Aur Kala, Garam Masala, Bhai Ho To Aisa Babul Ki Galiyaan, Shareef Budmaash, Prem Parvat, Chhupa Rustam, Gehri Chaal , Jugnu, Joshila, Dulhan, Amir Garib, Dost, Prem Nagar, Patthar Aur Payal, Haath Ki Safai, Dharmatma, Khushboo, Pratiggya, Sholay, Sharafat Chod Di Maine, Naach Uthe Sansaar, Charas, Dus Numbri, Mehbooba Jaaneman, Shirdi Ke Sai Baba, Dream Girl, Dil Kaa Heera, The Burning Train, Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, Kranti, Meri Aawaz Suno, Satte Pe Satta, Desh Premee, Razia Sultan, Andhaa Kanoon, Hum Dono, Ek Chadar Maili Si Sitapur Ki Geeta , Jamai Raja, Hey Ram, Censor, Aman Ke Farishtey, Baghban, Veer-Zaara, Bhagmati , Ganga and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag.

Trivia

• Hema Malni and Dharmendra both converted to Islam and changed their names to Aisha Bi R. Chakravarty and Dilawar Khan Kewal Krishn respectively.
• Dharmendra has two sons from his first wife Prakash Kaur.
• Hema has said in her interviews that she would never wear revealing outfits in movies, and has been true to her words till date.
• She is daughter of Mr. V S R Chakravarthy and Mrs. Jaya Chakravarthy.
• Her mother died in 2004 due to Gangrene on her leg.
• Hema Malni is a member of Bhartiya Janta Party.
• She was member of Chennai based Andhra Mahila Sabha in her early childhood.
  

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Rajah Sir Muttaiya Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar

Rajah Sir Muttaiya Annamalai Muthiah Chettiar (Tamil: முத்தையா அண்ணாமலை முத்தையா செட்டியார்) (August 5, 1905 – May 12, 1984) was a banker, educationist, philanthropist and a short time politician from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was the first Mayor of Chennai. His father Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar was also a famous educationist and along with him he found the Annamalai University in the town of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. He was also the third Nattukottai Chettiar to be Knighted, the first two were his nephew and father. Government of Tamil Nadu honoured him with the title Tamil Isai Kavalar.  

Early life 

He was born on August 5, 1905, son of Dr. Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar,the Raja of Chettinad and a distinguished member of the Nattukottai Nagarathar community. He studied mostly in Madras, graduating from the Presidency College, Chennai in 1922. He then went to Burma on his family's business, acquiring expertise in banking.

As a banker 

He became a member of Madras Legislative Council, representing the South Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry with which he was associated for 50 years, and was elected its President in 1941. He was appointed member of the Provincial Banking Enquiry Committee (1931). In 1929, he became a member of the Corporation of Madras and was elected Mayor in 1933 and 1934. In 1943, he was elected president of the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry. He was associated with the Imperial Bank of India (now the State Bank of India) and the Indian Bank. As an educationist Interest in education was part of the family heritage. He was associated with his father in making Sri Minakshi College, Chidambaram the nucleus of Annamalai university. While pursuing his political career as Chief Whip and Legislative Assembly Chairman of the Justice Party, he retained his interest in education. In 1936 he was appointed Minister-in-Charge of education, Public Health and Excise, and was also the pro-Chancellor of Madras University for over a year. He remained on the Board of Management of the Pachaiyappa's Charities for 33 years. He was also on the Syndicate of the Madras University and the Board of Management of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, for some years. In 1948 he became Pro-Chancellor of Annamalai University which expanded to include the faculties of Education, Fine Arts, Culture, Law and Medicine. Two UGC Centres of Advanced Study in Marine Biology and Linguistics came into being. The Engineering and Technology Department developed into a Post-Graduate Centre. The Muthiah Polytechnic, Annamalainagar, and the Annamalai Polytechnic, Chettinad, were established. He was interested in the study of Tamil language and Tamil literature, Tamil music and culture. His services to the cause of Tamil earned him the title of Tamil Isai Kavalar. 

In politics 

He earned the reputation of being a sensitive Parliamentarian, impartial and balanced, as a leader of the opposition in 1939 and when he held charge of Local Administration and Hindu Religious Endowments. He was the first Mayor of Chennai (then called Madras) when the Mayoralty was reinstated for the Corporation of Chennai in 1933. The Mayoralty had been earlier removed in 1792, when the act made Madras as a Municipality. In 1946 he was elected member of the Constituent Assembly at New Delhi. 

Awards and legacy  

He was knighted in the 1941 King's Birthday Honours, and was invested by the Viceroy of India on 24 June 1941. He also had the rare honour of hosting a lunch in the Chettinad House for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. While the Government of India bestowed on him Padma Bhushan in 1973, the Tamil Nadu Government honoured him with "Tamil Isai Kavalar" title in 1979. New York World University awarded an honorary doctorate to him in 1982. He died on May 12, 1984 in Madras leaving an impressive record of interests and achievements. Indian government hourned him with a postal stamp issues on him memory on December 21, 1987

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Balamurali Ambati

Dr. Balamurali Ambati, currently working in the Univeristy of Utah School of Medicine, is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Director of Corneal Research. He is an Indian-American ophthalmologist, educator, and researcher. He is known for being a child prodigy. He finished a doctorate at an early age. He is known as the 'Real Life Doogie Howser.' He is also known for his keen interest in research programs. He is indeed a very inspiring person and has that one motive to make a difference in people's lives. It's what keeps him going. He is a person who loves to explore and works on coming up with new forms of treatments for abnormal levels of diseases. Dr. Ambati also loves to play games and is a sport loving person. He is a source of inspiration to his juniors and is known for his exceptional skills and talent towards his field of interest. Read on!

Early Life
Dr. Ambati, a native of Vellore, India, moved to New York with his family when he was three. At the age of four, Ambati was doing calculus. He was a student who had skills far beyond his level of maturity. At the age of eleven, he graduated from high school and co-authored a research book on AIDS. His other interests are playing chess, basketball and Ping-Pong. He graduated from the New York University at the age of thirteen. At the age of seventeen, he graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City on May 19, 1995. He became the world's youngest doctor in the year 1995. His father Dr. Rao taught Balamurali and his brother to stay focused and achieve success. His father, Dr. Rao, convinced school administrators to allow his son to study at his own pace - nearly twice as fast as his peers. His mother is a Tamil linguist and a mathematician. Dr. Balamurali Ambati's family immigrated to United States of America for better opportunities, which were certainly made good use of.

Career
Dr. Balamurali Krishna Ambati practices ophthalmology in Salt Lake City, Utah and is currently working as an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences & Director of Corneal Research in the University of Utah of Medicine. He specializes in the field of Ophthalmology. Dr. Ambati had to delay his entry into an ophthalmology program for 2 years due to allegation of dowry demands by his sister-in-law's family. He and his family were detained for more than 3 months. He and his family were later acquitted by the court in 1999. Dr. Ambati performs laser vision correction or refractive surgery, LASIK, cornea transplants, cataract extraction, besides other procedures that are about the anterior segment of the eye. He also carries out research on molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels in the cornea, and molecular pathways of the antigenic cascade in the cornea. He completed an ophthalmology residency at Harvard University, where he developed strategies to reverse corneal angiogenesis, after winning at the Westinghouse Science Talent Search and the International Science & Engineering Fair.

Contribution
Dr. Ambati's contributions to business innovation and research were recognized during the 2010 Utah Innovation Awards, where his university startup company iVeena, was a finalist in the medical devices category. Dr. Ambati was selected for his outstanding contributions to the development of medical devices and research. One of the surgical instruments he developed, the Ambati Phaco Tip, will be featured in Cutting Edge: What's New in Cataract Surgery at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). His major contributions can be seen in the Cornea Refractive surgery process.

Awards and Accolades

• He received the prestigious Raja-Lakshmi Award in the year 1995 from Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation, Chennai.
• In 1995, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's youngest doctor, at the age of 17.
• Dr. Ambati was also nominated as Business Professional of the Year for 2010 by the Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce.
• He won a fellowship for Cornea & Refractive Surgery (2002) from the Duke University. He is also did extremely well at the Westinghouse Science Talent Search and the International Science & Engineering Fair.

Timeline
1977: Born in Hollis Hills, New York State, USA.
1991: He completed his B.A, Biology from the New York University.
1995: Doctorate in Medicine from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, became the youngest doctor in the world.
1997: Internal Medicine Residency from Beth Israel and Medical School.
2001: Ophthalmology Residency from Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary.
2002: Won a fellowship for Cornea & Refractive Surgery from Duke University.
2010: Won the ARVO award.

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Artist Pugazhenthi

THE SEED

Every great river of the world starts as just a small fountain.And Artist Pugazhenthi was born in 1967 to the couple Kuzhandhaivelu-Nagarathinam in a village by name Thumbathikkottai in the art-rich and music-rich district of Thanjavur.

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