For desis, with love: Guneet Monga to Praggnanandhaa, 5 Indians who made it big in 2023

Yearender 2023: Here is a look at 5 Indians who made the country proud in 2023. (Image: X)

It is safe to say that 2023 was a truly a memorable year for Indian achievements. From Guneet Monga winning her second Academy Award for her short documentary to R. Praggnanandhaa who created history after becoming the youngest player to reach the Chess World Cup final, there were a notable number of people who made the entire country swell with pride.

As the year comes to a close, let us look at the people who ruled on the hearts of the nation with stellar achievements in their respective fields.

Guneet Monga:

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A post shared by Guneet Monga Kapoor (@guneetmonga)

The Indian producer won her second Oscar this year at the 95th Academy Awards for “The Elephant Whisperers”. The win marked India’s maiden victory in the Documentary Short Subject category. In 2019, Monga had bagged the coveted trophy for her documentary “Period. End of Sentence”.

MM Keeravani:

The oscar award goes to #naatunaatu from RRR#Lifetimeachievement
Congratulations to my guru Shri MM Keeravani sir on winning the Oscar and made whole india proud. He believed in me and made me to hold this prestigious award #oscar95 @TheAcademy Thank you @mmkeeravaani sir pic.twitter.com/pem35BNE2x

— Rahul Sipligunj (@Rahulsipligunj) March 13, 2023

It was a grand moment of glory for India when music composer MM Keeravani and lyricist-singer Chandrabose won the Oscar in the Best Original Song category for “Naatu Naatu”. The track featuring Jr NTR and Ram Charan from their film “RRR” became a global hit. The movie was directed by SS Rajamouli.

Vir Das:

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A post shared by Vir Das (@virdas)

Actor and stand-up comedian Vir Das won the International Emmy Award for his Netflix special “Vir Das: Landing” in November. This was his second nomination and maiden win in this category. Das described the feeling as an incredible honour that feels like a dream,” adding, “winning an Emmy for Vir Das: Landing in the Comedy Category is not just a milestone for me but for Indian comedy as a whole.”

Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa:

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— October 21, 2023

It was a colossal moment of pride for the entire country when Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa became the youngest person to reach the Chess World Cup final. En route, he also became the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of the tournament since it switched to single-elimination format. The chess prodigy defeated the world’s second and third ranked players to make it to the final where he faced world’s top-ranked Magnus Carlsen.

Sheetal Devi:

Proud of Sheetal Devi on her extraordinary Gold Medal in Archery Women's Individual Compound open event at the Asian Para Games. This achievement is a testament to her grit and determination. pic.twitter.com/4JtbxrmPY2

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 27, 2023

Teenage armless archer Sheetal Devi became the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in a single edition of the Asian Para Games Hangzhou. In fact, it was a hat-trick of medals for the 16-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir as she bagged a silver medal in the women’s doubles compound event.