< PreviousGlobal Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Dream Merchant MANISH MALHOTRA @manishmalhotra05 COUTURIER, COSTUME STYLIST, ENTREPRENEUR, REVIVALIST This is Manish Malhotra’s 30th year in showbiz, three decades of practically redefining fashion for an entire generation. His inimitable aesthetic has not just given jaw-dropping makeovers to Bollywood’s biggest divas but has also transformed their careers while setting trends. His eponymous label has transcended borders and adorned international celebrities. He has dressed Michael Jackson, Saudi royalty, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Nick Jonas, Nick Bateman, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Reese Witherspoon, Kylie Minogue, Jermaine Jackson and his wife Halima, to name a few. The legendary list of movies Manish has worked on, dates from the mid-90s to current times: Rangeela, Raja Hindustani, Dil toh Paagal Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Jab We Met, Yeh Jawaani Hai Diwani, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. In 2018 alone, he worked on a whopping seven films. As a fashion influencer, Manish has carved his niche as an Indian luxury designer; with his first- ever haute couture makeup line in collaboration with MyGlamm and his production wing that did the wedding of the decade: Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal’s nuptials. No wonder every bride, chic socialite and aspiring actress dreams of owning a Manish Malhotra in her closet. Manish’s label promotes regional handicrafts and workmanship from rural India. It has adopted 45 girl workers from the village of Mijwan, Uttar Pradesh in association with Shabana Azmi’s NGO, Mijwan Welfare Society. A force to reckon with, brand Manish Malhotra is one of the biggest success stories of South Asia worldwide. WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: SUPPLIED MASALA! 21 Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL High Notes ANANYA BIRLA @ananya_birla SINGER, SONGWRITER, MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE At first glance, it would seem Ananya Birla has it all – impeccable lineage, entrepreneur at 17, pop star with chartbusting hits at 22 and name in power lists. Whilst at the University of Oxford, Ananya grappled with anxiety and depression, finding solace when performing at open-mic nights around London. She dropped out of Oxford, knowing that music was her ‘purpose’. A self-taught guitar and santoor player, Ananya started her musical journey at nine. Currently, she is the first and only platinum selling singer and songwriter in India in English music. Her latest release is the catchy reggae-pop dance single, Day Goes By, featuring Sean Kingston. With three back-to-back platinum selling hits - Hold On, Circles, Livin’ the Life and two double platinum selling hits, Meant To Be and Better , her introductory EP saw global acclaim. Having scaled the charts at home and appeared on major playlists in the US, UK, UAE and south east Asia, Ananya has also played at Asia’s biggest EDM Festival, Sunburn. But her entrepreneurial acumen was hard to ignore! The oldest of three children born to Neerja and Kumar Mangalam Birla who heads the $41-billion Aditya Birla Group, this songstress started a microfinance company at 17, which lends loans to women entrepreneurs in rural India. Following in her family’s illustrious footsteps, Ananya also makes time for philanthropy. A mental health advocate, her initiative Mpower, which she co-founded with her mother, seeks to break down the stigma around mental illness. A true millennial role model indeed! WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKHAR; PICTURE: SUPPLIED 22 MASALA! Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Global Connections ASHI DUA @ashidua PRODUCER In the brave new Bollywood, Ashi Dua is among those who are constantly pushing the envelope with edgy content that creates a splash not just in India but globally. Her production company, Flying Unicorn, has made films like Bombay Talkies, Lust Stories and Kaalakaandi – trendsetting projects that flipped the concept of a typical Bollywood movie. After interning at a news channel, a publishing house, advertising, PR and events, Ashi was ready to strike on her own with just one goal – to do things differently and creatively. Flying Unicorn would initially take up whatever came its way but her focus zoomed in on her big love – cinema. Working with Anurag Kashyap on a writing workshop and later on Dev D, led Ashi to believe that she could write and become a producer someday. In 2013, her passion for the movies led her to produce the unique Bombay Talkies, an anthology of four short films directed by boldface Bollywood directors Anurag, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Karan Johar. In 2018, she produced Ghazi Attack, Kaalakaandi and the hugely acclaimed, Emmy-nominated Lust Stories on Netflix. Taking forward the Lust Stories franchise, Ashi will produce Ghost Stories this year for Netflix, whilst in the process of closing three other projects with Netflix alongside Ronnie Screwala’s company RSVP. WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: SUPPLIED MASALA! 23 Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES Making India Proud SANIA MIRZA @mirzasaniar TENNIS SUPER STAR Six-time tennis Grand Slam champion Sania, a resident of Dubai, has been India’s No 1 female tennis player from 2003, up until her retirement from the singles in 2013. Her Instagram feed may have been taken over by pictures of her adorable one-year-old son, Izhaan Mirza Malik, but it wasn’t too long ago that Sania was one of India’s most successful and highest paid athletes. Sania has a number of firsts for women’s tennis in India to her credit, including surpassing US$1 million in career earnings, winning a singles WTA title and winning six major titles, as well as winning the WTA Finals in 2014. Sania is married to former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik – a fact that is incessantly highlighted any time their respective countries battle it on or off the field. Sania has won a total of 14 medals for India at the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Afro-Asian Games. A former world No. 1 in doubles tennis, she has won six Grand Slam titles in her career. Inspired by Serena Williams’ comeback after a maternity break, Sania is now preparing for her return to competitive tennis in 2020. She has her sights set on the Tokyo Olympics and will start the year off with the Brisbane Open and the Hobart International before turning out in the Australian Open. You go, girl!Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Power of Influence FRIEHA ALTAF @friehaaltaf PR MOGUL& CEO, CATWALK EVENT MANAGEMENT/ PRODUCTION She is a woman of substance in the true sense of the term. One of the most influential figures in the Pakistani entertainment industry, Frieha Altaf has executed over 3000 fashion events over the last 30 years. This includes the Lux Style Awards, the definitive film, fashion and lifestyle awards, and the much- talked about Beyond Beauty, a three-day beauty expo that brought businesspeople, fashion enthusiasts and consumers on one platform, and also made attempts to make beauty more diverse and inclusive. Frieha is also a well-known activist, never backing off from fighting the good fight. Taking inspiration from the #Metoo movement, Frieha launched the #MeinBhi campaign to support victims of sexual harassment, child abuse, underage marriage and gender discrimination. Not just content with talking about it, she went the whole nine yards, launching a music video to represent the movement, raising funds for Sahil, an NGO working against child abuse and standing firmly with survivors of harassment. Through Catwalk Cares, the CSR division of her company, Frieha lends support to NGOs and organisations working for varied issues, one of which is the Pink Ribbon Foundation to create breast cancer awareness in Pakistan. As a goodwill ambassador, she travels across the globe, representing Pakistan and speaking on key issues. For instance, this year, she was the key speaker at the Oxfam conference in Karachi on International Girl Child Day to talk about child abuse. The former model and choreographer leads life on her own terms unapologetically, and takes on challenges with her smile and sass. PHOTOGRAPHY: SHAHBAZ SHAZI; STYLING: RAO ALI KHAN; HAIR AND MAKEUP: NABILA; DRESS: LIU JO; BOOTS: MAX MARIOMASALA! 25 Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Prince of Hearts SHEHERYAR MUNAWAR @sheheryarmunawar ACTOR, PRODUCER AND AD FILM DIRECTOR Sheheryar got his celluloid break as lead actor and producer in 2016’s Ho Mann Jahaan garnering awards and appreciation galore. Following up with Saat Din Mohabat In, he picked up a trophy at the Masala! Awards 2018. While his deep brown eyes and sensitive aura has audiences swooning and nostalgic for an era of old fashioned romance, the young actor recently made his mark again in Asim Raza’s Parey Hut Love. Declared a blockbuster Parey Hut Love was produced by him as well. A graduate in finance and marketing from IBA in Karachi, Sheheryar was first noticed as a lead actor in TV shows. He made his debut with Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley, playing a character with speech and hearing disabilities and then appeared in shows like Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay, Kahi Unkahi among others. Having worked with all leading Pakistani networks and tasted early success, Sheheryar soon quit the small screen to join Asim Raza’s The Vision Factory as an assistant director on ad films, going on to direct campaigns and branded content for huge brands. Sheheryar has the vision to make the Pakistani entertainment industry global with content that has international appeal and great production values. He is definitely one of the bright young stars of Lollywood who has the ideas, will and charm to help realise its full potential. WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Boss Lady MOMINA DURAID @momina.duraid CREATIVE HEAD, HUM TV AND CEO, MD PRODUCTIONS Creative genius, fabulous talent and a producer with the Midas touch, Momina Duraid is also an outspoken champion of women’s empowerment in an industry that is notorious for its misogyny. She is the creative force behind several successful Pakistani dramas that have huge fan followings among the South Asian diaspora, loved for their realistic portrayals of relationships. Momina is a mother of five, married to Duraid Qureshi, the CEO and co-founder of Hum TV and daughter-in-law of Hum TV president and founder Sultana Siddiqui. But this media mogul came into her career by chance. She was working as a marketing manager with a bank. While mother-in-law Sultana Siddiqui had always been associated with the media industry and had worked a lot with PTV, Momina initially just looked after the books at Hum TV. In 2011, Momina convinced Farhat Ishtiaq to dramatise her novel Humsafar into a television series. The rest is history. Humsafar became a phenomenon, making stars out of its leads Mahira and Fawad Khan. She has produced and created several hit dramas for the network including Dastaan, Qaid- e-Tanhai, Humsafar, Shehr-e- Zaat, Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Diyar- e-Dil, Sadqay Tumhare, Mann Mayal, Udaari, Bin Roye, Yaqeen Ka Safar and Suno Chanda. In 2015, she co-directed her first film Bin Roye under her production house Hum Films, which became the third highest-grossing Pakistani film of all time. After the release of Bin Roye, Hum Films has distributed and produced over 15 films. WORDS: SHALAKA PARADKAR; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Model Behaviour MUSHK KALEEM @mushkkaleem MODEL AND INFLUENCER Mushk Kaleem was a known face back in Pakistan even before she strutted her way to the Milan Fashion Week this year. The 25-year- old model represented her country as she opened the show for Italian- Haitian designer Stella Jean, for her Spring Summer 2020 collection that reflected the Kalashi culture from Chitral, a region up in northern Pakistan. Mushk rose to fame when she made a case to the Pakistani fashion industry and her peers to embrace her dusky complexion. She also called out makeup artistes for trying to lighten her skin tone to help her bag more projects. The model stood up against colour obsession in the Pakistani glamour world and shared she was proud of her complexion. This made Mushk one of the most outspoken models that the industry needed more of. Soon after her stance, Mushk made headlines throughout the country as she went on to bag the biggest labels and walk the ramp for some of the most celebrated Pakistani designers. In 2019, she won the Best Emerging Talent at Lux Style Awards. One of her biggest milestones was when she represented Pakistan at the coveted Milan Fashion Week as she opened the show for designer Stella Jean. This gorgeous model has just started her climb to international fame, in the process paving the path for several modelling aspirants who dream of glory on the runway .28 MASALA! Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Britain’s Desi Girl JASMIN WALIA @jasminwalia SINGER, PRODUCER, ACTRESS, MODEL AND ENTREPRENEUR Named Britain’s sexiest Asian alongside Zayn Malik, tabloid favourite Jasmin is one of the definitive young Asian voices bridging the gap between the East and the West. Jasmin’s recently released single, Manana, boasts international vibes and blends her love of pop with tropical house vibes and catchy chorus. It is a true labour of love – she produced it from start to finish, creating it and conceptualising the visuals. Her previous super-successful singles include the debut Dum Dee Dum, a Punjabi-English number that catapulted her to pop fame. Then came the super groovy hit Bom Diggy with Zack Knight – one of the biggest songs of the decade in India and was used in Sonu Ke Titu ki Sweety, one of 2018’s biggest hits. She also performed at the wedding of Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra in Mumbai. Jasmina’s television appearances include the British reality show The Only Way is Essex and Desi Rascals 2. The young star has also turned entrepreneur with the launch of her own fashion line Pop by Jasmin, with a product range of lipsticks and beauty accessories. With the blend of Western pop music and Eastern Indian Influences, Jasmin hopes to do a lot more to bridge the gap between the two markets. Be it music or TV, Jasmin is all set to rule the charts in the UK and Asia in 2020! WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: SUPPLIED MASALA! 29 Global Achievers MOST INFLUENTIAL Soul Food VIKAS KHANNA @vikaskhannagroup CELEBRITY CHEF, AUTHOR AND FILMMAKER He is one of India’s shining culinary stars, having taken the cuisine from the bylanes of Punjab to the fanciest restaurants around the world. Vikas Khanna’s journey is awe-inspiring. Appearing on Gordon Ramsay’s show Kitchen Nightmares, preparing meals for Presidents and Prime Ministers, hosting Masterchef and authoring definitive books on Indian cuisine, there is little in the world of food that Vikas Khanna hasn’t achieved. This year, he added a new feather to his cap when he produced and directed a critically acclaimed film The Last Color, starring Neena Gupta. The film was showcased at several film festivals, including Cannes and Berlin, won great reviews and had an association with Google and UN. His food journey continues unabated though. Recently he launched Kinara, a modern Indian restaurant in Dubai. From being a Michelin-starred chef to a director, from releasing rich tomes on culinary traditions to writing fiction and turning it into a movie, Vikas’ life is an inspiration. Apparently, Karan Johar had offered Vikas a role which the ace chef turned down citing that culinary arts will remain his priority. Well, the world wasn’t going to allow him to underplay his glamour. A few years ago, he was voted ‘New York’s Hottest Chef’ by the New York Eater blog and was featured in People magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ list. WORDS: LEKHA MENON; PICTURE: SUPPLIED Next >