Deepika Padukone named among TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people; 'she's here to represent the world' says Vin Diesel

Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone has been named in TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world this year, an annual list of honorees that includes US President Donald Trump. “TIME’s annual list of the world’s most influential people is a designation of individuals whose time, in our estimation, is now,” the magazine said. Deepika Padukone’s co-star from the movie xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Vin Diesel  wrote about Padukone that she is “not just here to represent India; she’s here to represent the world.” In a profile for Padukone, Diesel says “Deepika is the best Earth has to offer”, admiring her “synchronicity, a synergy, a chemistry” when he met her for one of the movies of the Fast and Furious franchise. While Padukone’s schedule didn’t work for that movie, Diesel said he “never gave up” and she was the first role to be cast in xXx: Return of Xander Cage. [caption id=“attachment_4438769” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Deepika Padukone/Image from Instagram.[/caption] The list this year includes actress Nicole Kidman, Wonder Women star Gal Gadot, Prince Harry, his fiance Meghan Markle, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who is an openly gay son of an Indian immigrant, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina and singer Rihanna. Writing Markle’s profile, Indian actress Priyanka Chopra said Markle is an “important influencer in a world that needs strong public figures to respect and look up to. People the world can be inspired by. Meghan, standing shoulder to shoulder with Harry, will be a princess for the people.” TIME said a record 45 people on this list are under 40 — including the 14-year-old Stranger Things actor Millie Bobby Brown.