Ranbir Kapoor has secured a major global milestone by being featured as the only Indian actor on the prestigious TIME 100 Most Influential People list for 2026. The list also includes global personalities such as Google CEO Sundar Pichai and celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, highlighting India’s growing cultural and professional presence on the world stage.
Marking the occasion, actor Ayushmann Khurrana—himself a TIME 100 honouree from 2020—wrote a heartfelt tribute to Kapoor, praising him as a performer who represents a changing and “evolving India.”
Khurrana described Kapoor not just as a movie star, but as a storyteller with a global voice. “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 civilizations and cultures,” he wrote.
He further emphasized that Kapoor’s strength lies not in chasing stardom through spectacle, but in building a lasting legacy through his craft. According to Khurrana, while the industry often measures success in box office numbers and fan frenzy, Kapoor stands apart for influencing audiences in a quieter, more profound way.
“There are actors who chase legacy and there are actors who become one through their craft. Ranbir Kapoor is the latter,” Khurrana noted, adding that Kapoor has consistently reshaped the emotional vocabulary of audiences through restrained and internalized performances.
He also highlighted Kapoor’s ability to reflect a more sensitive and self-aware India. “He represents the India that is finally learning how to listen to itself and leaves a mark through simple authenticity,” Khurrana wrote, calling him a cultural bridge between India and global cinema.
The 2026 TIME 100 list features a diverse lineup of international entertainers, including Blake Lively, Ben Stiller, Benicio Del Toro, Zoë Saldaña, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Claire Danes, Keke Palmer, Sterling K. Brown, Jonathan Groff, Wagner Moura, and Nikki Glaser.
On the Indian front, Kapoor’s inclusion adds to a moment of strong representation across global fields.
Meanwhile, excitement around Kapoor’s upcoming magnum opus Ramayana continues to build. The film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is reportedly mounted on an estimated budget of ₹4,000 crore and features an ambitious technical collaboration between legendary composers A. R. Rahman and Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer.
Kapoor will portray Lord Rama, with Sai Pallavi playing Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman.
The film is slated for release in two parts, with the first installment arriving in October 2026 ahead of Diwali, followed by the second part in Diwali 2027. With its scale, cast, and global attention, Ramayana is already being positioned as one of Indian cinema’s most ambitious projects to date.
