Bollywood star Alia Bhatt, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and British actor with Indian roots, Dev Patel have made it to Time magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’ list for 2024.
Another prominent Indian who features in the list is wrestler Sakshi Malik, India’s only female Olympic medallist who led the protest against the alleged sexual harassment of female grapplers by former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
“Proud to be included in the 2024 #TIME100 list,” Sakshi wrote on X.
Tom Harper, the director of the streaming film ‘Heart of Stone’, Alia’s first Hollywood project, heaped praises on the actress, calling her a “truly international star”.
“Despite her fame, Alia is self-effacing and funny on sets. There is a grace to the way she goes about her work: focused, open to ideas, and willing to take creative risks. One of my favourite moments in the film came from an improvisation at the end of a take where she took the emotional thread and ran with it.
“Alia’s superpower is her ability to mix movie-star magnetism with authenticity and sensitivity. As an actor, she is luminous, and as a person, she brings the grounded assurance and creativity that make a truly international star.” Alia is the only Bollywood actor to feature in the Time magazine list.
The other names with an India connect featured in the list include astronomer Priyamvada Natarajan, senior US Department of Energy official Jigar Shah, and chef and rights activist Asma Khan.
The also features singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, Oscar-awardee American actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Oscar-nominated actors Jeffrey Wright and Colman Domingo.
Also featured in the list are film personalities Taraji P Henson, Elliot Page, Michael J. Fox, Sofia Coppola, and Hayao Miyazaki.
British actor Dev Patel, whose parents are Indian, also finds himself on the list. Patel, who rose to fame in “Slumdog Millionaire,” recently made his directorial debut with “Monkey Man.” Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya praised Patel in his TIME profile, calling him “limitless” and “fearless.”
Ajay Banga, the current President of the World Bank, is commended for his transformative leadership in tackling global poverty and climate change. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen lauded Banga’s “skill and drive” in transforming the World Bank.
Jigar Shah, Director of the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, is recognized for his role in spearheading global economic development initiatives. Richard Branson noted that Shah leads “one of the largest economic-development programs the world has ever seen.”
