List of Bengalis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article provides lists of famous and notable Bengali people, from India or Bangladesh and or has Bengali ancestry .
Contents |
[edit] Actors and actresses
- Bipasha Basu বিপাশা বসু - popular Bollywood actress; won the Ford Supermodel of the World (contest) at age 17.
- Bobita ববিতা - Bangladeshi film actress; most popular actress in Bangladesh
- Rahul Bose - Bollywood actor and rugby player
- Mithun Chakraborty মিঠুন চক্রবর্তী Miţhun Chôkroborti - renowned Bollywood and Bengali film actor
- Shefali Chowdhury - She plays Harry Potter's Yule Ball date in Goblet of Fire.
- Sumita Devi - Bangladeshi film and television actress
- Humayun Faridi - Popular Bangladeshi drama and film actor
- Konnie Huq - British television presenter.
- Kajol কাজল দেবগন - renowned Bollywood actress, second cousin of Rani Mukerji; won many awards
- Saif Ali Khan - renowned Bollywood actor, son of Sharmila Tagore, half-Bengali and half-Punjabi; won many awards
- Uttam Kumar উত্তম কুমার - Bollywood and Bengali film actor; worked with Academy winner Satyajit Ray
- Dia Mirza - Bollywood actress, half-Bengali and half-German
- Rani Mukerji রাণী মুখার্জী - renowned Bollywood actress, second cousin of Kajol; currently believed to be the most popular actress in Bollywood; won many awards
- Abdur Razzak - Bangladeshi and Pakistani film actor
- Shabnam - (Jharna Basak) - actress in Bangladeshi and Pakistani films; most popular heroine in the history of Pakistan films industry (Lollywood)
- Aparna Sen অপর্ণা সেন - Bengali film actress; won Padma Shri in 1986; won National Film Award and International Film Festival awards
- Suchitra Sen সুচিত্রা সেন - Bollywood and Bengali film actress; first Indian actress to be awarded an international film festival award
- Sushmita Sen সুশ্মিতা সেন Shushmita Shen - renowned Bollywood actress, India's first Miss Universe
- Raima Sen - Bollywood actress, half-Bengali and half-Tripuri
- Rimi Sen - Bollywood actress
- Riya Sen রিয়া সেন - Bollywood actress, half-Bengali and half-Tripuri
- Sharmila Tagore শর্মিলা ঠাকুর - renowned Bollywood and Bengali film actress, head of Indian Film Censor Board; she was chosen as an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
[edit] Economists
- Muhammad Yunus মুহাম্মদ ইউনুস Muhammod Iunus - economist, Nobel Laureate, pioneer of micro-credits
- Amartya Sen অমর্ত্য সেন Ômorto Kumar Shen - economist, Nobel Laureate
[edit] Entrepreneurs
- Jawed Karim - co-founder of YouTube but left the company for higher studies before the purchase by Google
- Amar Bose অমর গোপাল বসু Ômor Gopal Boshu - founder of Bose Corporation
- Subrato Roy - founder of Sahara India Pariwar
- Bibi Russell বিবি রাসেল founder of Bibi Productions
[edit] Filmmakers
- Satyajit Ray সত্যজিৎ রায় Shottojit Rae - filmmaker, won the Academy Honorary Award in 1992 for lifetime achievement and also recieved the Légion d'honneur award of France
- Ritwik Ghatak ঋত্বিক ঘটক - filmmaker
- Hrishikesh Mukherjee হৃষিকেশ মুখার্জি - filmmaker
- Mrinal Sen মৃনাল সেন Mrinal Shen - filmmaker
[edit] Head of major organizations
- Irene Khan, Current Secretary General of human rights organization Amnesty International; she is the first woman, the first Asian, and the first Muslim to hold the position; she won Sydney Peace Prize 2006
[edit] Intellectuals and social reformers
- Ram Mohan Roy, রাজা রামমোহন রায় - founder of the Brahmo Samaj
- Shri Aurobindo, Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, scholar, poet, mystic, evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru
- Roquia Sakhawat Hussain, বেগম রোকেয়া - prolific writer, important Women's right activist and social worker
- Debendranath Tagore দেবেন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর - was an active Brahmo, and was against sati, idol worship
- Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar ঈশ্বর চন্দ্র বিদ্যাসাগর - responsible for introducing major reforms in the educational system and was Women's right activist
- Keshub Chunder Sen কেশব চন্দ্র সেন - intellectual and a noted religious reformer
- Sivanath Sastri শিবনাথ শাস্ত্রী - an important intellectual
- Nasreen Pervin Huq, Prominent Women's Rights Activist
[edit] Journalists and news reporters
- Matiur Rahman মতিউর রহমান - editor of Daily Prothom Alo, winner of Ramon Magsaysay Award for journalism
- Fareena Alam - named Media Professional of the Year by Islamic Relief and was named Media Professional of the Year at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards.
- Prannoy Roy - Founder and President of NDTV - One of India's largest television and media production house
- Mainul Hosein - chairman of the editorial board of the Daily Ittefaq, the largest daily Bengali news publication in Bangladesh
- Harish Chandra Mukherjee - pioneer of nationalistic Hindu journalism and a reformer
- Nina Hossain, - British television news broadcaster
[edit] Musicians
- Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar - one of the all time greatest playback singers for Bollywood
- S D Burman Sachin Dev Burman - one of the all time greatest music composers
- Abhijeet Abhijeet Bhattacharya - renowned Bollywood playback singer; won MTV Life Time Achievement Award and FilmFare Award
- Manna Dey মান্না দে Manna De - renowned Bollywood playback singer
- R D Burman Rahul Dev Burman - one of the all time greatest music composers
- Kumar Sanu Kumar Sanu - renowned Bollywood playback singer
- Shaan Shantanu Mukherjee - renowned Bollywood playback and pop singer and host of Zee TVs SA RE GA MA PA
- Norah Jones - renowned pianist and singer-songwriter, Grammy award winner, daughter of Ravi Shankar, half-sister of Anoushka Shankar, half-Bengali and half-white
- Vilayat Khan বিলায়েত খাঁ Bilaeet Khã - sitar maestro
- Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay - Also known as Hemant Kumar renowned Bollywood and Tollywood playback singer
- Runa Laila, famous Bangladeshi singer, equally popular in Bangladesh, India & Pakistan.
- Sabina Yasmin, popular Bangladeshi playback singer. Also popular in West Bengal, India
- Anoushka Shankar - renowned sitar player and composer, Grammy Award nominee, daughter of Ravi Shankar, half-sister of Norah Jones
- Ravi Shankar রবি শঙ্কর Robi Shôngkor - renowned sitar maestro, Grammy Award winner, father of Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar
- Nikhil Banerjee, renowned sitar player
- Tanmoy Bose, renowned tabla player
- Bikram Ghose, renowned percussion player, Grammy award winner
[edit] Political figures
- Subhas Chandra Bose সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু Shubhash Chôndro Boshu - co-founder Indian National Army, Head of State and President of India
- Shyama Prasad Mukherjee শ্যামা প্রসাদ মুখার্জী - Founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh which reformed to form the famous Bharatiya Janata Party; the godfather of modern Hindutva and Hindu Nationalism
- Iskander Mirza - the first President of Pakistan
- Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy - Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 until 1957; founder of Awami League
- Khwaja Salimullah - Was first to propose the creation of the All India Muslim League (AIML), later known as Muslim League
- A. K. Fazlul Huq - আবুল কাসেম ফজলুল হক - Presented the Lahore Resolution of 1940 that established Muslim League's demand for a homeland for Muslims, Pakistan
- Chittaranjan Das চিত্তরঞ্জন দাস - Major figure in the Indian independence movement also known as Deshabandhu.
- Bipin Chandra Pal বিপিন চন্দ্র পাল - One of three extremist patriots of the Indian National Congress during Indian independence movement
- Sheikh Mujibur Rahman শেখ মুজিবর রহমান Shekh Mujibur Rôhman - Founding Father of Bangladesh; first President of Bangladesh
- Ziaur Rahman জিয়াউর রহমান Ziaur Rôhman - Founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, President of Bangladesh from 1977 until 1981; first to propose the creation of SAARC
- Muhammad Ali Bogra, - Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1953 until 1955
- Khawaja Nazimuddin খাজা নাজিমুদ্দীন - second Governor-General of Pakistan, and the second Prime Minister of Pakistan
- A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury - well known politican and senior leader of Indian National Congress party
[edit] Sportspersons
- Saurav Ganguly - Cricketer: most successful cricket captain of Indian cricket team and led India to the World Cup 2003
- Arjun Atwal - Golfer: played on the Asian Tour, European Tour and first Indian to play U.S. based PGA Tour
- Brojen Das ব্রজেন দাস)- Swimmer: first Asian to swim across the English Channel and the first person to cross it four times
- Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, athletics: Double gold-medallist in track at Asian games, was awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and Padma Shri award
- Leander Paes, Tennis player: won 2006 US Open Men's Doubles championship and bronze-medallist at Atlanta Olympics, 1996
- Aftab Ahmed Chowdhuryআফতাব আহমেদ চৌধুরী - Cricketer: Widely judged to be one of Bangladesh's best batsmen
- Rani Hamid রাণী হামিদ) - Chess player: was awarded the FIDE Woman International Master (WIM) title in 1985 and won British Women's Championship (1983, 1985, 1989)
- Mihir Sen, Swimmer: First Indian to swim across the English Channel in 1958.
- Arati Saha, Swimmer: First Asian woman to swim English Channel in 1959.
- Dibyendu Barua, Chess: Indian chess grandmaster
- Pankaj Roy, Cricketer: top Indian cricketer
- Arun Lal, Cricketer: top Indian cricketer
- Mohammad Rafique মোহাম্মদ রফিক - Cricketer: One of the Bangladesh's most senior and best players
- Rohan Gavaskar, Cricketer: top Indian cricketer
- Pradip Kumar Banerjee প্রদীপ কুমার ব্যানার্জি - Footballer: was named Indian Footballer of the 20th Century by FIFA and recieved the Padma Shri Award in 1990
[edit] Religious figures
- Atiśa Dipamkara Shrijnana, অতীশ দীপঙ্কর শ্রীজ্ঞান - Buddhist teacher: Important figure in the Tibetan Buddhist in tradition and in establishment and was inventor of bodhichitta or known as "mind training"
- Tilopa, Buddhist teacher: Important figure in the Tibetan Buddhist; founder of the Kagyu lineage and progressor of Mahamudra method
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ Choitonno Môhaprobhu - Hindu monk and social reformer
- Ramakrishna Paramahamsa রামকৃষ্ণ পরমহংস Ramkrishno Pôromôhongsho - Hindu saint
- Swami Vivekananda স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ Shami Bibekanondo - Hindu monk and social reformer
- A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - founder of ISKCON
- Paramahansa Yogananda পরমহংস যোগানন্দ Pôromôhongsho Joganondo - monk and exponent of Kriya Yoga
- Sri Anandamoyi Ma, আনন্দময়ী মা) - Spiritual teacher and Guru
- Hazrat Shah Jalal - Celebrated Muslim figure in South Asia
- Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji - Hindu Saint
- Baba Lokenath Brahmachari - Hindu saint and philosopher
- Khan Jahan Ali, খান জাহান আলী - considered Muslim saint, built the great Bagerhat Shat Gambuj Masjid (60 dome mosque)
[edit] Scientists & Engineers
- Mani Lal Bhaumik ব্রজেন দাস - Physicist: helped develop the first excimer laser at the University of California
- Amar Bose অমর গোপাল বসু - Inventor, founder of Bose Corporation
- Jagdish Chandra Bose জগদীশ চন্দ্র বসু} Physicist, radio and wireless transmittion pioneer, invented the radio before Marconi. Also did substantial work on botany.
- Satyendra Nath Bose সত্যেন্দ্র নাথ বসু)- Physicist, founded Bose–Einstein statistics, which helped to produce Bose-Einstein condensate (2001 Nobel Prize in Physics was given for this discovery); Boson, a study of Elementary particle, is named to honor him
- Upendranath Brahmachari - Biologist: synthesized Urea Stibamine (carbostibamide) and used it in the treatment of Kala-azar (leishmaniasis), was a nominee for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- Dilip Mahalanabis - Biologist: under his leadership International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh medical centre, discovered Oral rehydration therapy, which saved more than 40 millions lives from Diarrhoea
- Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis প্রশান্ত চন্দ্র মহলানবিস) - Statistician: Inventor of Mahalanobis Distance and and did pioneering work on anthropometric
- Fazlur Khanফজলুর রহমান খান - One of the foremost structural engineers of the 20th century: Structural engineer and designer of Sears Tower, the tallest building in the USA
- Jamal Nazrul Islam - famous physicist and mathematician
- Sisir Kumar Mitra শিশির কুমার মিত্র - Physicist: pioneer in the investigations of ionosphere and worked with Marie Curie, was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Society and Mitra crater on the Moon is named after him
- Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri, অমল কুমার রায়চৌধুরী - Physicist: well known for his contributions to relativistic cosmology produced the famous Raychaudhuri's equation, a key ingredient for other major scientific concepts
- Prafulla Chandra Roy bn:প্রফুল্ল চন্দ্র রায়- Pioneer in the field of pharmaceutical and chemical works (discovered mercurons nitrite)
- Meghnad Saha মেঘনাদ সাহা - Physicist, produced the famous equation "Thermo-Ionization Equation" or the Saha Equation
- Ashoke Sen - Physicist: well known for his contributions to string theory and co-discovered S-duality
[edit] Writers
- Rabindranath Tagore রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর Robindronath Ţhakur - Nobel laureate; considered the most important Bengali writer, he wrote the national anthem of India and Bangladesh
- Kazi Nazrul Islam কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম Kazi Nozrul Islam - Rebel Poet of British India, National Poet of Bangladesh
- Humayun Ahmed, হুমায়ূন আহমেদ, writer, novelist, filmmaker
- Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay বঙ্কিম চন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় Bongkim Chôndro Chôţţopaddhae - novelist and essayist, credited for the first Indian novel
- Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay শরত্চন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় Shôrot Chôndro Chôţţopaddhae - novelist
- Nirad C. Chaudhuri নীরদ চন্দ্র চৌধুরী Nirod Chôndro Choudhuri - Victorian scholar, Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- Mahasweta Devi মহাস্বেতা দেবী Môhashsheta Debi - author, social activist
- Sunil Gangopadhyay সুনীল গঙ্গোপাধ্যায় Shunil Gônggopaddhae - poet, novelist
- Mir Mosharraf Hossain মীর মোশাররফ হোসেন - novelist
- Jhumpa Lahiri ঝুম্পা লাহিড়ী Jhumpa Lahiŗi - writer
- Amitav Ghosh - Omitabho Ghosh - writer and historian, most famous for his novels 'The Hungry Tide' & 'Glass Palace'
- Dhan Gopal Mukerji ধান গোপাল মুখোপাধ্যায় Dhan Gopal Mukhopaddhae - author
- Subhas Mukhopadhyay সুভাষ মুখোপাধ্যায় Shubhash Mukhopaddhae - poet
- Shamsur Rahman শামসুর রাহমান Shamsur Rôhman - poet
- Al Mahmud আল মাহমুদ - poet, novelist
- Alaol আলাওল - one of the most talented medieval poet
- Muhammad Zafar Iqbal - science fiction writer
