SS Rajamouli, Shah Rukh Khan only Indians in Time’s 100 most influential list

RRR and Baahubali franchise director SS Rajamouli has made it to Time magazine’s 100 most influential people list of 2023 alongside Bollywood megastar, Shah Rukh Khan. With this, they have become the only two Indians to make it to the list. While Alia Bhatt wrote the profile for SS Rajamouli, Deepika Padukone penned Shah Rukh Khan's profile. Alia Bhatt, who will next be seen in Heart of Stone opposite Gal Gadot, wrote Rajamouli’s profile and said he knows his audience well and the turns to take. She wrote, He “knows the audience he’s serving. He knows what beats to hit, what turns to take”.

Bhatt also said that India is a huge country with diversity in terms of demographics, tastes, and culture but Rajamouli understands this and “unites audience through his movies”.  

The actor, who also played a pivotal role in RRR recounted the first time she met Rajamouli during the Baahubali 2 preview. She wrote, “The first time I met S.S. Rajamouli was at the preview of Baahubali 2. We were all extremely starstruck. And even while I was watching the movie, I was like, Oh my God, what a dream it would be to work with this director. Lo and behold, the dream came true.”

She also recalled asking the RRR director for acting advice and he said, “Whatever choice you make, just do that with love. Because even if the film doesn’t work, the audience will see love in your eyes for what you’re doing”. Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan co-actor Deepika Padukone wrote his profile and said that 150 words will never do justice to the phenomenon that is Shah Rukh Khan while adding he will be “known forever as one of the greatest actors of all time”.

She further mentioned, “What sets him truly apart is his mind, his chivalry, his generosity. The list goes on…"

Padukone wrote about her first meeting with SRK and wrote, "I’ll never forget the first time I met Shah Rukh Khan. I had just arrived in Mumbai from Bangalore with one suitcase and a dream. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in his house! I was being considered for a role in a film opposite him." She also said that it has been 16 years ever since and "what makes our relationship special is the love, trust, and respect we have for each other."

Shah Rukh Khan came back to the silver screen after a hiatus of almost four years with the blockbuster Pathaan in January this year. The film broke all box office records domestically and internationally. Made on a budget of around Rs 250 crore, Pathaan collected Rs 543.09 crore at the domestic box office whereas it collected Rs 1,050.05 crore worldwide. The film collected Rs 392.55 crore in the overseas market. 

This list also includes the likes of Twitter CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI's Sam Altman, US President Joe Biden, British monarch King Charles, Syrian swimmers and activists Sara Mardini and Yusra Mardini, Bella Hadid, and Beyonce. It also comprises the Satanic Verses and Midnight’s Children author Salman Rushdie and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi.