Y2K - South
Asian Women in headlines
The year 2000 was the
year of headlines for south Asian women. Jhumpa Lahiri did it - by winning
the Pulitzer Prize - Karnam Malleshwari and Susanthika Jayasinghe won bronze
medals at the Sydney Olympics - Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra, Diya Mirza and
Aditi Govitrikar became the beauties with brains.
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Jhumpa
Lahiri's collection of short stories Interpreter of Maladies won
her the Pulitzer Prize. Lives and works in Boston. Married Alberto
Vourvoulias, Time magazine journalist, in Kolkata on 15
January 2001. |
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Karnam
Malleshwari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.
She won the bronze in 69 kg weightlifting category (she lifted 240
kg). Originally from Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh, Karnam now lives with
her husband in Yamunanagar, Haryana. She was also the World Champion
in 1994 and 1995. (PTI Photo) |
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Susanthika
Jayasinghe is the first Sri Lankan to win a track and field medal at
the Olympics. Her bronze in 200m also made her the first South Asian
to win a world championship medal in track and
field. (AP
Photo- Gemunu Amarasinghe) |
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Lara Dutta - the 21
year old Miss Universe, is a graduate in Economics from Mumbai. She
wants to be a journalist - her role model is CNN's War Correspondent
Christian Amanpour. Lara's interests range from Indian classical dance
and music to para-gliding and bungee jumping. Her father, a retired
Indian Air Force pilot, and mother, now live in Bangalore. (Lara's
younger sister is a pilot
too).
(TOI photo) |
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Diya
Mirza, the 18 year old from Hyderabad, won the Miss Asia-Pacific
title - the second Indian to win the title. Still in her final year
at school, Diya plans to study psychology and
law.
(TOI photo) |
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Priyanka
Chopra is Miss World 2000. 18 year old Priyanka is a student of
psychology at Jai Hind College, Mumbai and wants to become a
clinical psychologist. Her father is also a doctor in the Indian
Army, and the family live in Bareilly, UP.
(TOI photo) |
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Aditi
Govitrikar, the newly crowned Mrs. World, studied medicine but opted
for a career in modelling. Eldest of three children, Aditi was
brought up in Mumbai. She is married to a doctor and has a four-year
old daughter. She is also the first Indian title-holder.
Photo: Filmfare |
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