Virat Kohli, Deepika Padukone in Time’s 100 Most Influential People List

By Little India Desk | April 20, 2018

The Time Magazine’s annual list of 100 most influential people in the world, released on April 19, features Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, actress Deepika Padukone, co-founder of Ola Cabs and entrepreneur Bhavish Aggarwal and Microsoft CEO and a non-resident Indian, Satya Nadella among several others.

“TIME’s annual list of the world’s most influential people is a designation of individuals whose time, in our estimation, is happening right now,” the magazine stated.

The Indian cricket team’s captain Kohli’s profile has been penned by veteran cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, while Padukone’s has been written by her co-star Vin Diesel. Flipkart founder Sachin Bansal wrote Aggarwal’s profile for the Time Magazine.

Tendulkar has defined Kohli as “consistent” and “passionate” writing about the U-19 World Cup in 2008, where he first saw Kohli. “Even back then, his hunger for runs and consistency was remarkable, something that has become the hallmark of his game,” wrote Tendulkar.

Apart from Nadella, Indian-origin Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is also on the list’s most influential people on the planet.

About Padukone, her co-star Diesel wrote, “As soon as she entered the room, there was a synchronicity, a synergy, a chemistry—it promised great things to come.” He said describing the day when Padukone had come to read a role for Fast and Furious that had not worked out due to her schedules.

“Anyone could talk about how beautiful she is, and anyone could tell you about her unmatched comic timing. But she isn’t just a star. She’s an actor’s actor, dedicated to the craft,” he added.

Aggarwal, 32, who became an entrepreneur at a young age, also received a well-crafted testimonial from his peer Bansal, another young achiever.

“For those who meet Bhavish Aggarwal for the first time, his polite, soft-spoken demeanor is impossible to forget. Get to know him a little more and you will soon notice his vision, passion and determination to stand against all odds,” Bansal wrote.

Nadella’s profile written by American writer and journalist Walter Isaacson said that the India born CEO of Microsoft “preaches the importance of empathy and making products that work reliably, traits that deepened in him when his first child was born with brain damage and his son’s life depended on linked machines running Microsoft systems.”

Varadkar’s profile, written by Irish journalist Philip Ryan, said, “The openly gay son of an Indian immigrant, Varadkar decided to come out publicly in the run-up to the world’s first marriage-equality referendum. Today the once anti-abortion politician is campaigning to significantly liberalize the country’s abortion laws.”

Prince Harry’s fiancé and actress Meghan Markle also featured on the list. Her profile  penned by Bollywood and Hollywood actress Priyanka Chopra described Markle as ever-smiling and free-spirited, “Somewhere among biryani, poutine and endless conversations, I realized just how deeply Meghan Markle cares for the world.”

Robert Mueller, who is a former director of Federal Bureau of Investigation and a U.S. attorney, also made it on the list. While his profile was written by Indian origin politician Preet Bharara. Indian American politician Kamala Harris has written the profile of Lena Waithe, an American actress, producer, and screenwriter’s profile for the magazine.