Indian Female Media Personalities

The quintessential item girl of Bollywood, Malaika Arora is known for her sultry looks and dance moves. She has the reputation of drawing audiences into theatres despite appearing in just one song in the entire film. Malaika Arora ended her 18 years old marriage to actor Arbaaz Khan in 2017. 

Barkha Dutt is an Indian journalist and author. She is best known for her association with The Washington Post and The Hindustan Times where she works as an opinion columnist. Dutt achieved national recognition in 1999 for covering the Kargil War between India and Pakistan. Barkha Dutt is the recipient of many prestigious awards, such as the Padma Shri.

The daughter of Kannada poet P. Lankesh, Gauri Lankesh began her career as a journalist for The Times of India. She also worked as an editor of Lankesh Patrike. Later, she was known for her firebrand left-wing activism against Hindutva and was eventually shot dead by three men near her Bengaluru home.

Anusha Dandekar is an Indian-Australian VJ, actress, and singer. She is popularly known for hosting many TV shows. Beginning her career as a TV anchor and VJ, she branched out into acting as well, making her film debut with a role in the Bollywood film Mumbai Matinee. Since then, she has appeared in a few other movies.

The daughter of music magnate Gulshan Kumar, who launched T-Series, Tulsi Kumar began her playback singing career with the movie Aksar. She later gained fame with hit tracks such as Sanam Re and Soch Na Sake. She is now married to a Delhi businessman and has a son.

Farah Khan was not a stranger to films, being the daughter of a stuntman/filmmaker and a first cousin of actor/director Farhan Akhtar. Initially wanting to be a director, she focused on choreography later. The National Award- and Filmfare-winning choreographer is known for her work in films such as Dabangg and Koi... Mil Gaya.

Known for her firebrand anchoring on NDTV 24x7, journalist Nidhi Razdan is the daughter of former PTI editor-in-chief Krishan Razdan. She made headlines when she claimed to have been fooled by a phishing attack and made to believe that she had secured a teaching job at Harvard.

The daughter of a retired navy officer, Nikita Dutta is a former Femina Miss India finalist and an actor known for films such as Lekar Hum Deewana Dil. She is also a popular TV star, who has impressed audiences as Suman Tiwari in Ek Duje Ke Vaaste.

Born to a theater artiste, Remya Nambeesan began her career as a child artist in films. As she grew up, she was typecast in roles of the village belle but turned around with the film Traffic. She has also gained fame for her singing in films such as Ivan Megharoopan and Bachelor Party.

Sukumari was an Indian actress known for her contribution to Tamil and Malayalam films. One of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation, Sukumari acted in over 2,500 films in a career that spanned over 50 years. In 2003, she was honored with the Padma Shri. In 2011, she won the National Film Award for her performance in Namma Gramam. 

Nauheed Cyrusi is an Indian model, actress, and VJ. Cyrusi is best known for appearing in TV commercials for well-known brands like Head & Shoulders, Britannia, and Himalaya. Over the years, Cyrusi has become a household name in India, thanks to her acting skills and visibility across the country.

Apart from being the daughter of legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle’s daughter, Varsha Bhosle was also a singer and journalist in her own right. She wrote for The Times of India and The Sunday Observer, among other publications. Four years after a failed suicide attempt, she shot herself to death.

Renowned journalist Sagarika Ghose was an Oxford Rhodes scholar before she joined media giants such as The Times of India and CNN-IBN. Apart from being the daughter of Indian civil servant and theater personality Bhaskar Ghose, she is also the wife of popular journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.

Gwangju Prize-winning human rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila, also known as the Iron Lady of Manipur, made international headlines with her 16-year hunger strike to urge the Indian government to repeal the AFSPA Act. She later married British citizen Desmond Coutinho and is now a mother to twin daughters.

Maria Goretti is an Indian video jockey who has hosted several popular shows. She was interested in music and performing from an early age and often participated in school and college programs. She went on to become a famous VJ on MTV and has also hosted shows on other channels. She is married to actor Arshad Warsi. 

A leading columnist for The Indian Express and India Today, Tavleen Singh has also been a reporter for leading publications such as The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Sunday Times. A firebrand political commentator, too, she has also penned books such as India's Broken Tryst and Lollipop Street.

Apart from being a bestselling novelist and a popular columnist, Shobhaa De is also former model and a prominent socialite. The founder of the magazine Stardust, she writes regularly for publications such as The Times of India and Asian Age and was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in India.

Social activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad is best known for establishing the Sabrang Trust, aimed at peace-building after the 1992 Mumbai riots, and the CJP, aimed at seeking justice for the 2002 Gujarat riot victims. The Padma Shri awardee has also successfully obtained 117 convictions against the Gujarat rioters.

Shereen Bhan began her career as Karan Thapar’s news researcher. The journalist now heads CNBC-TV18 as its managing editor. She has anchored several popular shows such as Young Turks and India Business Hour and has won honors such as the FICCI Woman of the Year Award.

Chitrashi Rawat is an Indian model, actress, and field hockey player. She is best known for her portrayal of Komal Chautala in the 2007 sports film Chak De! India. In 2008, she received the Star Screen Award for Best Actress In A Supporting Role. She then went on to play important roles in popular films like Fashion and Luck.

Madhu Trehan is an Indian journalist best known for co-founding a digital media portal named Newslaundry where she also works as the editor-in-chief. She is also credited with founding the popular news magazine, India Today. In 1986, Madhu Trehan earned a reputation as a pioneer of investigative journalism when she produced and anchored India's first video news magazine, Newstrack.