Shah Rukh Khan, Jr NTR, Ektaa Kapoor, 7 other notable figures from India feature in Variety 500 list

Ten notable figures from India, including Shah Rukh Khan, Jr NTR, Ektaa Kapoor, and SS Rajamouli, among others made it to the annual list of the 500 most significant people in show business. International publication Variety published the list on Thursday.

Hyderabad: Variety, an international publication, on Thursday published its annual list of the 500 most influential individuals in the entertainment industry. This esteemed list includes 10 prominent figures from India, among which are actors Shah Rukh Khan and Jr NTR, film directors Aditya Chopra and SS Rajamouli, and producers Ektaa Kapoor, Siddharth Roy Kapur and Bhushan Kumar.

Additionally, other prominent names such as Mukesh Ambani, a prominent industrialist who owns the media company Viacom18; Shivani Pandya Malhotra, the founder of the Red Sea Film Festival, and NP Singh, the CEO of Sony Pictures, are also on the list. These individuals were selected by the Variety editorial board, who conducted thorough research to form this list.

The publication describes SRK as a "great romantic star of the modern era", who has had a successful comeback at the box office this year with his films Pathaan and Jawan. Furthermore, they mentioned his upcoming projects, including the Christmas release Dunki, a dramedy helmed by Rajkumar Hirani, and the highly anticipated Bollywood spy-universe film Tiger vs Pathaan, set to commence next year.

RRR fame Jr NTR also secures a spot on the list due to his exceptional ability to captivate global audiences. His versatility allows him to seamlessly embody any character while maintaining the larger-than-life hero persona that is crucial for success in mainstream Indian cinema. Meanwhile, RRR director SS Rajamouli, who has become a global sensation, is recognised as India's most commercially successful filmmaker.

Aditya Chopra received recognition for an extraordinary year at his production house, Yash Raj Films, which witnessed the release of Pathaan and the establishment of a new box office record for Hindi films, surpassing the Rs 500-crore mark. Notably, he contributed to the hype surrounding Pathaan by reopening single-screen theatres across India that had been closed during the pandemic.

Another notable inclusion is producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, who embarked on an independent production journey with the Priyanka Chopra-starrer The Sky is Pink. His recent war drama Pippa, which delves into pivotal moments in the region's history, is applauded for its thought-provoking narrative.

Describing him as the “younger Kumar”, the publication noted how the producer took over the business at the tender age of 19 after his father, Gulshan Kumar, passed away, and “grew it to its current level.” Bhushan is currently riding high on the blockbuster success of his latest, Animal.

Furthermore, Ektaa Kapoor has earned a coveted spot on this list following her win at the International Emmys, which highlighted the 'magnitude' of her accomplishments.

Overall, this diverse group of talented individuals from India exemplifies the remarkable achievements and contributions they have made to the global entertainment industry.