These are Bollywood's most influential women
Bollywood is the biggest film industry in the world, so it stands to reason that its leading women are some of the most influential on the planet.
One of its brightest stars, Priyanka Chopra, has reached over 66 million followers on Instagram, while actress Tabu Hashmi, has scooped six Filmfare Awards (the Hindi-cinema equivalent of an Oscar) and two National Film Awards.
Such is the impact of these women that three of Bollywood's top actresses (Chopra, Tabu and Aishwarya Rai) have been honoured with the Padma Shri – a government-given award for distinguished services to the arts. They're looked up to as tastemakers and style icons, and many have used their influence to create change.
Bollywood's biggest power couple, actress Anushka Sharma and Indian cricketer, Virat Kohli boast the highest engagement rate (Sharma comes out on top) and the highest number of Instagram followers (Kohli has 137 million followers). The couple have used their platform to raise funds for Covid-19 relief during the pandemic, which has hit India particularly hard. Within days of issuing their campaign, they surpassed their target, raising over 11 million rupees for relief efforts.
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Chopra, Rai and Kareena Kapoor have all joined forces with UNICEF, working on important issues such as child rights, education, gender equality and Aids, while others like Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone have used their platforms to raise awareness around LGBTQIA+ rights and mental health.
Elsewhere, actress Shraddha Kapoor has huge sway over her fans' spending habits. She regularly teams up with brands to recommend products to her followers and has an enormous amount of influence.
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And singer, Neha Kakkar's is dominating on Instagram reels. Videos of her goofing around, or exercising her famous vocal chords regularly bring in upwards of 20 million views.
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Here are some of Bollywood's brightest stars...
Getty ImagesPriyanka Chopra
One of Bollywood’s best known actresses, Priyanka Chopra shot to fame after winning the Miss World 2000 pageant, and has since received numerous awards, including a national film award and five Filmfare awards.
She was honoured with the Padma Shri (a civilian award), bestowed upon her by the government of India, named one of the world’s most influential people by TIME and listed as one of the world’s most powerful women by Forbes. She’s cracked Hollywood too with blockbusters like the Baywatch remake, and her marriage to Nick Jonas and friendship with the Duchess of Sussex has made headlines around the world.
Alongside her acting, Priyanka is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and has worked on causes including children's rights, the environment, health and education, and gender equality.
Getty ImagesAlia Bhatt
One of India’s highest paid actresses, Alia has made several appearances on Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2014 and is the recipient of three Filmfare awards .
Born in 1993, she made her acting debut in 1999 at the age of six. Alongside her acting, Alia has launched her own line of clothing and handbags and is also the founder of ecological initiative CoExist.
Getty ImagesKangana Ranaut
Considered one of the most fashionable celebrities in India, Kangana Ranaut launched her own clothing line with Vero Moda. Her frequent outspokenness and forthrightness has previously sparked controversy.
She has appeared five times in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list, has received three National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards.
Though her original aspiration was to be a doctor on the insistence of her parents, she relocated to Delhi when she was 16 to pursue modelling and acting.
Getty ImagesTabu
Much like Madonna, Beyonce and Cher, Tabu (full name Tabassum Fatima Hashmi) has hit such heights that she’s known mononymously as Tabu.
A prolific award-winning actress, she has performed in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, English, Bengali and Marathi films earning countless awards including two National Film Awards for Best Actress, six Filmfare Awards and a record four Critics Choice Awards for Best Actress.
Like Priyanka Chopra, she was honoured with the Padma Shri by the government of India.
Getty ImagesAnushka Sharma
Last year, Anushka Sharma appeared in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30. In addition to her acting (which has earned her a Filmfare Award), Anushka is the ambassador for multiple brands and has designed her own clothing line for women, named Nush. She’s also campaigned for gender equality and animal rights.
Getty ImagesDeepika Padukone
Born in Copenhagen, Deepika Padukone’s family relocated to Bangalore in India when she was a one-year-old.
Despite noting that she was awkward as a child and “didn’t have many friends,” Deepika has gone on to become India’s highest paid actress, with three Filmfare awards under her belt.
Last year, TIME named her one of the 100 Most Influential People In The World. Prior to acting, she was a national badminton champion (following in her pro-sportsman father’s footsteps).
Aside from acting, Deepika founded the Live Laugh Love Foundation to create awareness of mental health in India, she’s fiercely vocal about issues such as feminism and depression, has written columns for national newspapers and formed her own production company, KA Entertainment.
Getty ImagesKareena Kapoor
Hailing from an acting family (both her parents are actors), Kareena Kapoor made her acting debut in 2000 at the age of 20. Since then she’s become famous for her wide-ranging performances, covering everything from romance to comedies, to crime.
She’s worked her way up to one of Bollywood’s most popular and highest paid actresses. Married to Indian actor and film producer Saif Ali Khan, her personal life is the subject of widespread coverage in India.
Outside of acting, Kareena has established herself as assertive and outspoken, working with UNICEF to improve the education of girls. She’s also written three books and created her own clothing and cosmetics lines.
Getty ImagesKatrina Kaif
British actress, Katrina Kaif, was first discovered at a fashion show in London by filmmaker Kaizad Gustad (best known for his comedy Bombay Boys). He cast her in her first film, Boom in 2003.
After a shaky start due to her poor command of Hindi, Katrina earned commercial success in Bollywood rom-coms, going on to become one of India’s highest paid actresses.
Her highest-grossing films, spy thrillerEk Tha Tiger, it’s subsequent sequel and action thriller, Dhoom 3 all rank amongst India’s highest-grossing films of all time.
Getty ImagesSonam Kapoor
One of Bollywood’s highest paid actresses, Sonam Kapoor started as an assistant director behind the camera before making her acting debut in 2007.
She’s received a Filmfare and National Film Award for her work and her films are some of the highest-grossing in India. Known for her outspoken personality, she has helped to raise awareness of breast cancer and LGBTQIA+ rights.
Getty ImagesAishwarya Rai
Often cited as “the most beautiful woman in the world,” Aishwarya Rai was named Miss World at the 1994 pageant.
After entering acting in 1997, she worked her way up to become one of India’s most popular and influential celebrities , receiving 11 Filmfare Award nominations (including two wins) in the process.
Away from acting, she is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS and in 2003, she became the first Indian actress to become a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.
