To recognise influential individuals who have subverted conventional practices to leave a lasting impact, TIME magazine published its TIME100 Next 2024 list on October 2. On this global list of changemakers were All We Imagine as Light director Payal Kapadia and One Day actress Ambika Mod.
While Payal made history in May this year by becoming the first director from India to win the coveted Grand Prix trophy for her film at the Cannes Film Festival, Ambika stole hearts with her portrayal of Emma, in the Netflix series. Bollywood actor, Ayushmann Khurrana, who has been honoured twice by TIME Magazine, first by placing him on the list of 100 Most Influential People of the World in 2020 and then handing him the TIME 100 Impact Award 2023, wrote a note celebrating Payal.
“What she achieved at Cannes is a milestone for Indian cinema. I’m proud to be living in an era where I can witness a talent like Payal showing the world that Indian stories resonate universally, transcending geographies and languages... It would be an honour to work with her and engage with her mind,” reads Ayushmann’s note about Payal, who is also known for the documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing and the short film Afternoon Clouds.
Writing about the ‘Ambika effect’ that took over hearts and put her on the list, actress and Emmy-nominated producer and writer Mindy Kaling said, “Ambika’s character, Emma, is at the heart of this sweeping love story, which had the distinction of making millions of people weep uncontrollably, internationally, when it dropped. And even though I was one of those weeping people, I was also struck by how deeply funny Ambika was... I was immediately googling Ambika to find out more. And I think that’s when I knew I was a fan for life.”
Ambika, who also celebrated her birthday on October 2, responded to this honour with a post on Instagram. “@time really said happy birthday to me today!!!” The actress is currently working on the upcoming Disney+ series Playdate.
The TIME100 Next list also features Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, Espresso singer Sabrina Carpenter and Emily in Paris actress Ashley Park. The youngest person to be featured this year is eighteen-year-old three-time Olympic champion swimmer from Canada, Summer McIntosh. The list also includes U.S. political figures like Andy Beshear and Lara Trump, business and technology leaders, such as Tim Latimer, Hali Borenstein and Iman Abuzeid, as well as eco-warriors like Mario Kohle, Aadith Moorthy and Jesse Jenkins.
Speaking about the list, TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs wrote: "The TIME100 Next list was created to recognise that many of today's most influential leaders are individuals who are not waiting long in life to make an impact. Nor are they eager to respect the status quo by following the traditional power structures and pathways that have determined what influence looked like in the past. With this annual franchise, we aim to recognise rising leaders, and in doing so, not just show the stories that are capturing headlines in 2024, but also introduce you to the people who we believe will play an important role in leading the future."
The 2024 TIME100 Next issue features three international covers, each focussing on a different member from the list: singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, NBA player Jaylen Brown and Springboard To Opportunities CEO Aisha Nyandoro.
On October 9, TIME will host its fourth annual TIME100 Next event to celebrate the individuals featured on the 2024 list. The event, which is set to take place in New York City, will also feature a special musical performance by Carpenter.
