A Bollywood star is the only Indian name in TIME magazine’s coveted winners’ list of the TIME100 Impact Award this year.
On Tuesday night, the TIME magazine announced this year’s winners of its coveted TIME100 Impact Awards. The publication gives out these awards annually and they are different from its list of 10 most influential people in the world. This time, surprisingly, only one Indian made it to the list of winners. And while he is from the world of arts and cinema, it’s not from among the ususal suspects.
Film star Ayushmann Khurrana is the only Indian name in the winners’ list of the 2023 TIME100 Impact Awards. According th publication, the awards honour and recognise “global leaders who have gone above and beyond to move their industries—and the world—forward”. Ayushmann has been honoured for his work in Hindi cinema with clutter-breaking films that carry social messages, as well as his philanthropic work with UNICEF off screen.
In its article announcing Ayushmann as one of the winners, TIME wrote, “Khuranna has also become passionate about using his platform on the silver screen to advocate for social issues…. This approach has set the tone not just for a successful film career, but also for Khurrana’s parallel endeavors as a singer, a poet, a philanthropist, and an advocate for India’s youth.”
Ayushmann was appointed as a UNICEF National Ambassador earlier this year and has been involved with the organisation in aiding children in need throughout the country. His films, right since his debut Vicky Donor, have also largely imbibed social messages and talked about subjects taboo in mainstream entertainment.
Reacting to the honour, Ayushmann said in a statement, “This is the second time that the prestigious TIME Magazine has chosen to recognise the work that I do on camera as well as off it. I’m proud as well as humbled with this honour from TIME Magazine because it validates my core belief system as an artiste and a human being trying to affect positive social change.” He added, “I’m deeply grateful to TIME Magazine for bestowing me with the TIME 100 Impact honour this year. I have and will always try to push the content envelope of India through my brand of cinema.”
Ayushmann was most recently seen on screen in the comedy film Dream Girl 2, which has been a box office success. The film has netted Rs 100 crore in India and grossed over Rs 130 crore globally, emerging as Ayushmann’s first clean hit in three years.
