Pune, formerly Poona (pronounced [puɳeː] ( listen)), is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. Pune city is the administrative capital of Pune district.

Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD. Pune was originally called Punawadi. In 1730, Pune became an important political center as the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara; it was during this era that Pune became the centre of Indian politics. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India.

Today, Pune is known for its educational facilities and relative prosperity. Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Pune has well-established manufacturing, glass, sugar, and forging industries since the 1950-60s. It has a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in Pune district. The city is known for various cultural activities like classical music, spirituality, theatre, sports, and literature. These activities and job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India and abroad, which makes for a city of many communities and cultures.

Sanjay Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is a prominent Indian Hindi film star, producer and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981. He has since featured in films that are amongst some of the most popular Hindi language films of the past three decades.

Dutt was born on 29 July 1959 to Bollywood megastars Sunil Dutt and Nargis and was educated at The Lawrence School, Sanawar. Dutt married the actress Richa Sharma in 1987. Sharma died of brain tumour. The couple have a daughter, Trishala, born in 1987, who lives in the United States with her grandparents, following a custody battle with Dutt after the death of his wife. Dutt's second marriage was to model Rhea Pillai in 1998. They divorced in 2005. Dutt married Manyata (also known as Dilnawaz Sheikh) in 2008 at a private ceremony in Goa, after two years of dating. On 21 October 2010, he became a father to twins, a boy named Shahraan and a girl named Iqra. He is well known for several altercations with the law, along with many other controversies throughout his life, as well as drug addiction in his early years.^{[citation needed]} He spent 5 months in prison in late 1982 after being caught in possession of illegal substances, upon his release he spent 2 years in the United States, the majority of which was spent in a Texan rehab clinic before returning to India and resuming his career.

Narendra Dabholkar (Marathi: नरेंद्र दाभोलकर) is a rationalist from Maharashtra, India and author of several books. He is the founder president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti an organisation set up to eradicate superstition.

Narendra Dabholkar is the youngest of ten siblings, the eldest of whom was late educationist, Gandhian and socialist Dr. Devdatta Dabholkar. He did his schooling at New English School Satara, Willingdon College Sangli. He is a medical doctor, having gained his qualification from Miraj Medical College, Miraj, and has worked as a general practitioner for twelve years, before he joined active social work.

He was the captain of the Shivaji University Kabaddi team. He represented India against Bangladesh in a Kabaddi tournament. He won the government of Maharashtra's premiere sports award Shiv Chhatrapati Rajya Krida Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar for Kabaddi.

He was associated with movements for social justice, such as Baba Adhava's One village-one well agitation. He associated himself with movements for eradication of superstition i.e. Akhil Bharatiya Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti ABANS. (Marathi- अखिल भारतीय अंधश्रद्धा निर्मुलन समिती). ABANS was founded by Pro. Shyam Manav after exhausted tour & training with the great rationalist Mr B Premanand. After that and he gone separated from ABANS and founded Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti i.e. Committee for Eradication of Superstition of Maharashtra (Marathi- महाराष्ट्र अंधश्रद्धा निर्मुलन समिती) in 1989 and became executive president of it. He is the founder member of the de-addiction centre Parivartan, which is located in Satara. He is editor of Marathi weekly Sadhana. Sadhana was founded by the late Sane Guruji. He is exposing all type of superstitions (andhashraddha) in the Society.

Narendra Damodardas Modi (Gujarati: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી; born 17 September 1950) is the current Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat. Born in a middle class family in Vadnagar, he was the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and his wife Heeraben. He has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood also having interest in politics since adolescence. He holds a master's degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.

He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections. His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously. He was elected again for a third term on 23 December 2007 in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".