Shah Rukh Khan’s popularity has skyrocketed yet again after the release and monumental success of his comeback film Pathaan. And if you think that this resurgence is limited just to India, a new poll from Time magazine has proved that notion incorrect. Shah Rukh has beaten global icons like Lionel Messi and Serena Williams as well as business moguls like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in the magazine’s annual TIME100 readers’ poll.
Every year, the Time magazine comes out with its list of 100 most influential people in the world. Prior to that, the magazine runs the TIME100 poll, in which readers vote for the individuals they feel most deserved a spot on the list of the most influential people. The online poll clocked over 1.2 million votes this time around.
On Friday morning, the popular American magazine issued a statement informing that Shah Rukh had won the poll, garnering 4% of the total vote (around 50,000 votes in all). Describing him as ‘arguably India’s most famous actor and an international icon in his own right’, the statement described how Shah Rukh’s most recent film Pathaan emerged as a global blockbuster earning $130 million (Rs 1049 crore).
The second place in the poll went to Iranian women protesting for greater freedoms in the country, who received 3% of the total vote. Health care workers came in third with 2% of the total vote. The next two places went to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who each garnered around 1.9% of the total vote. Football star Lionel Messi rounded off the top five with 1.8% of the total vote.
While the full list has not been disclosed, Time revealed that it includes Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, this year’s Best Actress Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, tennis legend Serena Williams, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
