3 min readHyderabadApr 15, 2026 09:59 PM IST
Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has been named among TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for 2026. The list, released on Wednesday, also features celebrity chef Vikas Khanna and Google CEO Sundar Pichai as Indian representatives, and spans personalities from finance, entertainment, technology, sports, activism, and academia.
Ayushmann Khurrana hnours Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir’s feature in the TIME magazine was written by actor Ayushmann Khurrana. In the tribute, he penned, “There are actors who chase legacy and there are actors who become one through their craft. Ranbir Kapoor is the latter. In an industry as prolific and passionate as Indian cinema, we often measure greatness in decibels: box-office numbers, fan frenzy, opening weekends. But every once in a while, an actor shifts something quieter yet far more enduring: our emotional vocabulary as an audience. Ranbir has been doing that film after film.”
The tribute goes further, framing Ranbir not just as a movie star but as a kind of cultural signal. “In a world where performances are often amplified, Ranbir internalises. He shows our culture through quiet restraint. He represents the India that is finally learning how to listen to itself and leaves a mark through simple authenticity.”
Khurrana also places the actor in a global context, arguing that artists like Ranbir serve as bridges between Indian stories and international audiences. “He embodies an India that is evolving not just in scale but also in sensitivity. Our cinema is influencing the world. Ranbir isn’t just a movie star: he’s a storyteller talking to a global audience and telling them stories of a fabled, mythical country where epics like The Ramayana have inspired other civilisations and cultures.”
Ranbir is set to portray Lord Rama in director Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious, much-anticipated Ramayana adaptation, with Part One expected to release in 2026 and the second part to release in 2027.
Others on TIME 100 list
The 2026 TIME 100 list includes a broad range of entertainers from across the world, including Blake Lively, Ben Stiller, Benicio Del Toro, Zoe Saldana, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Claire Danes, Keke Palmer, Sterling K Brown, Jonathan Groff, Wagner Moura, and Nikki Glaser.
