Padma Lakshmi, Rajamouli, Shah Rukh Khan Among Time’s 100 Most Influential

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – Director SS Rajamouli of ‘RRR’ and ‘Baahubali’ fame, Bollywood megastar, Shah Rukh Khan and renowned host of the television show ‘Top Chef,’ author and commentator, Padma Lakshmi have been named to Time magazine’s 100 most influential people list of 2023.

Alia Bhatt has written the profile for SS Rajamouli, Deepika Padukone on Shah Rukh Khan and comedian and actress Ali Wong on Padma Lakshmi.

Wong praised the Indian American writing, “It’s Padma’s genuine love of food—and how freaking smart she is—that makes her electric to watch as the host of Top Chef, currently in its 20th season, and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, which returns for a second season in May. It also helps that she’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

Padma Lakshmi herself posted on social media, “At age 4 I joined my mom in America, arriving in New York to build a new life with her. From the start, I clung to the familiar foods of my motherland. Food was a link to my grandparents in India, to quieter streets with familiar street vendors, to what I knew. Later, when we moved from New York to LA, I missed the after-school pizza slices and my neighbor’s empanadas. With every big move, I’d add new dishes to my personal canon. Laid out, they told the story of my life. Dish by dish, they also tell the story of America.”

Padukone wrote that 150 words would 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 said, “What sets him truly apart is his mind, his chivalry, his generosity. The list goes on…” Padukone wrote “what makes our relationship special is the love, trust, and respect we have for each other.”

Bhatt said about Rajamouli that 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”. 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”.