Indrani Rahman Biography 
Indrani Rahman was the first model to win Miss India contest. She won it in the year 1959, thus becoming the first Indian girl to participate in Miss Universe contest. She competed in the Miss Universe 1952 Pageant, held at Long Beach, California. Surprisingly, India did not compete in the Miss Universe pageant from 1953–1963. She was an Indian classical dancer of Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Odissi dance forms. She popularized these art forms in western countries and later settled in west in the year 1976. Indrani had received the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1981. She has also received Taraknath Das Award.
Indrani Rahman was born in Chennai on September 19, 1930. She started learning classical dance in her mother’s company, at age nine. Her mother, Ragini Devi was a renowned artist during 1930’s. Young Indrani assisted her mother in many foreign trips for stage shows from a younger age also. Later she learnt Bharata Natyam from Guru Chokkalingam Pillai in Pandanallur style. She learnt Kuchipudi from Korada Narsimha Rao with whom she later toured may parts of the world.
She married architect Habib Rahman in 1945. In 1947, she became the first professional dancer to learn Odissi. In 1952, already married, and with a child, she became the first Miss India. She represented India in Miss Universe 1952 Pageant as well. Later, alongside her mother she toured many foreign countries popularizing Indian classical art forms worldwide. In 1961, she was the first dancer presented on a national tour by the Asia Society. She has also performed for US President John F. Kennedy and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, during Nehru's official visit to Washington. She has also exhibited her dancing talents to Emperor Haile Selassie, Queen Elizabeth II, Mao Zedong, Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro. Rahman died on February 5, 1999 in Manhattan.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 16, 2014
