Kavita Choudhary in Udaan: This was among the earliest shows on women empowerment. The inspirational character of Kalyani Singh overcame innumerable hardships en route to becoming an IPS officer. The convincing portrayal by Choudhary, who also directed the series, remains legendary till this day. Acclaimed director Shekhar Kapur had a brief role in the show

Priya Tendulkar in Rajini: Tendulkar became the epitome of a social crusader by playing a housewife, Rajini, who fought against injustice and corruption in public life. In many ways, Rajini was the precursor to today's consumer forums that bat for the common man's rights

Navneet Nishan in Tara: One of the most popular female-based shows over, Tara was a tribute to the spirit of womanhood. Nishan went on to define the contemporary urban woman on Indian television

Mandira Bedi in Shanti: One of the earliest daily running shows on DD, the series remains synonymous with Bedi. As an aspiring journalist, Bedi got into the skin of her intense character, that of a girl who was born out of rape of her mother by two businessmen

Shikha Swaroop in Chandrakanta: Based on Devaki Nandan Khatri's novel Chandrakanta the series became hugely popular during its original run in the '90s. Swaroop, as Princess Chandrakanta, did complete justice to the character

Bharti Achrekar in Wagle Ki Duniya: Anjan Shrivastav as Wagle was undoubtedly the USP of the show, but Bharti's role as the hardworking housewife, Radhika, was also significant in the show's success

Niki Aneja Walia in Astitva - Ek Prem Kahani: The character of Dr Simran Mathur portrayed by Niki in the show represented the new-age Indian woman. A gynaecologist by profession, Dr Simran falls in love with and marries a man who is 10 years younger to her. The story focuses on her subsequent struggles, with a much-admired performance from Niki

Vaishnavi Mahant in Shaktimaan: As Geeta Vishwas, the brave news reporter, Mahant was the perfect foil to Mukesh Khanna in the much-loved superhero series

Sandhya Mridul in Koshish -- Ek Aasha: The serial focused on the inspirational story of a woman named Kajal, who is deceived by her parents-in-law into marrying their mentally challenged son, Neeraj. Putting aside all her miseries, however, she takes it upon herself to help her husband towards normalcy

Renuka Shahane in Imtihan: Having lost her mother, Shahane's character is the main support system of the family comprising her father and younger sister. She stands by the family at every occasion and protects them against every evil

Kitu Gidwani in Air Hostess: The show which aired on Doordarshan in the mid-80s was an inspiration to many women of that generation. Through Gidwani's character, it portrayed the kind of life an air hostess has

Rama Vij in Nukkad: She was the silent fighter in the show with an ensemble cast. Playing the character of Teacherji aka Maria, a widow who lives alone, Vij's sensitive enactment won many hearts

Neena Gupta in Saans: Neena Gupta wrote, directed and acted in this TV show. Also starring the brilliant Kanwaljit Singh, the show focused on the accidental love triangle between the characters. Neena Gupta, who played Priya in the show, won the award for Best Director at the Kalakar Awards in 1998.