Congress President Sonia Gandhi, industrialist Ratan Tata, and CEO of an international beverage company Indra Nooyi are the three Indians who've made it to Time magazine's 2008 list of the world's 100 most influential people.
Theatre person Arundhati Nag feels that the list has got it right. "All of them come from different sectors and impact the country in their own way," she says.
VJ Cyrus Sahukar agrees, adding, "They operate well in the international circuit and it's great that they are representatives of our country.
And it's because of people like them that the perception of India has taken a leap in the right direction. Earlier, when I travelled abroad, people asked stupid questions like, 'Are there elephants on the streets?' But thanks to an entire group of people, including Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who are well-read and well-spoken, people know what India is truly about," he says.
Actress Khushboo feels that Shah Rukh Khan is the most influential Indian today. "Shah Rukh has achieved his dreams through sheer grit and determination. The other most influential person is MS Dhoni, who has proven that it takes patience and a strong mind to be a leader," she says.
Best-selling author Chetan Bhagat also believes Shah Rukh is the most influential person in the country. "He chooses what Indians would like to see and decides what entertainment will be like — whether it's IPL or a movie like Om Shanti Om. Mayawati has changed the dynamics of politics in UP. She will play a significant role in the national elections," he says.
Arundhati agrees that Mayawati's juggernaut is rolling and is a major influence in Indian politics. "We have to take cognisance of the vote bank that Mayawati's steadily building up. Whether I agree with her quality of politics or not, I think she's one of the most influential Indians today," she says.
Actor Farooque Sheikh feels that over the last 150 years, no other Indian, living or dead, has been as influential as Mahatma Gandhi. "It's not just about the price of automobiles or the political stance a party takes. What's important is the impact one has on the minds and hearts of people.
Mahatma Gandhi is a major influence even today; we haven't found anybody of comparable stature. He showed that if you are strong and patient enough, truth can prevail and whatever he asked anybody else to do, he did it first. With the kind of capacity for destruction we have, he is the only phenomenon that has impacted change without causing damage," he says, adding, "If I were to look across the globe, then there's Nelson Mandela who gives prime importance to human values."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I...ow/3015477.cms
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