New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan and 'RRR' director SS Rajamouli are included in Time Magazine's annual 100 Most Influential People of 2023, becoming the only two Indians on the list. While Alia Bhatt wrote the profile for SS Rajamouli, Deepika Padukone penned Shah Rukh Khan's profile.
Deepika, who has worked with Shah Rukh Khan multiple times, the latest being ‘Pathaan,’ described her relationship with him and what makes Shah Rukh one of the best in the Indian film industry. She 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. It’s been 16 years since. What makes our relationship special is the love, trust, and respect we have for one another. Shah Rukh Khan will forever be known as one of the greatest actors of all time. But what truly sets him apart is his mind, his chivalry, his generosity. The list goes on …"
"For someone who has known him intimately and cares for him deeply, 150 words will never do justice to the phenomenon that is Shah Rukh Khan,” she concluded.
Alia Bhatt, who worked with Rajamouli in 'RRR', recalled her first meeting with the director. “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.”
"I call him the master storyteller because he genuinely loves the flair and abandon of stories. And he brings us together, she added.
Alia Bhatt also shared that she asked RRR director for acting advice, to which he had replied, "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."
Other names in the list include 'The White Lotus' star Jennifer Coolidge, Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie, 'The Last Of Us' star Pedro Pascal, and Everything Everywhere All At Once's Ke Huy Quan.