Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and film producer Guneet Monga have featured in Variety’s International Women’s Impact Report 2018.
Padukone tweeted on International Women’s Day on Thursday: “Honoured and humbled joining these amazing achievers! Thank you Variety.”
The list honours Padukone for her contribution to cinema and partaking in philanthropic efforts along with emerging through controversies gracefully.
Introducing the actress, variety.com writes: “The star of the recent Bollywood blockbuster Padmaavat faced death threats and verbal abuse from various fringe groups with poise and elan. Padukone, whose father, Prakash, was a star badminton player, used to participate in the sport before becoming a model.
“She is now one of the highest-paid Indian actresses and has made the leap from Bollywood movies such as Om Shanti Om and Chennai Express to Hollywood titles including xXx: Return of Xander Cage last year. She is also philanthropically active, launching the Live Laugh Love Foundation, which focuses on mental illness.”
As for Monga, who heads Sikhya Entertainment and has produced The Lunchbox and The Ashram, variety.com reports that while female Indian producers are rare, she actually enjoys people saying ‘no’; she just keeps finding creative ways to bring stories to life.
“There have been several times where I have not been taken seriously and have had to work twice as hard just because I am a young woman, but I have never let that affect my state of mind towards the end goal of putting together the stories we need to tell,” Monga said.
The list acknowledges the work of 50 women including Miuccia Prada, Daisy Ridley, J.K. Rowling, Sofia Vergara, Emma Watson, Lupita Nyong’o, Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Salma Hayek, Gal Gadot, Judi Dench and Adele, who are leading the way at a time when women’s rights are in the spotlight.
