15. Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra was  born on 18 July 1982 is an Indian actress, singer, film producer, philanthropist, and the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant. One of India's highest-paid and most popular celebrities, Chopra has received numerous awards, including a National Film Award and five Film fare Awards. In 2016, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award and Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Forbes listed her among the World's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2017. Following a brief setback, she garnered success for playing a troubled model in the drama Fashion (2008), which won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. Chopra subsequently gained wider recognition for portraying a range of characters in the films Kaminey (2009), 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), Barfi! (2012), Mary Kom (2014), Dil Dhadakne Do(2015) and Bajirao Mastani (2015), as she continued to star in several other successful films. In 2015, she began starring as Alex Parrish on the ABC thriller series Quantico, becoming the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series. In addition to her acting career, Chopra is noted for her philanthropic work. She has worked with UNICEF for the last ten years and was appointed as the national and global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights in 2010 and 2016 respectively. She promotes various causes such as environment, health and education, and women's rights and is particularly vocal about gender equality and feminism. Chopra's off-screen life is the subject of substantial media coverage. As a recording artist, she has released three singles. She is also the founder of the production company Purple Pebble Pictures, which released the acclaimed Marathi comedy-drama Ventilator(2016). Chopra supports various causes related to the girl child through her foundation "The Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health and Education", which works towards providing support to unprivileged children across the country in the areas of Education and Health.She donates ten percent of her earnings to fund the foundation’s operations, and pays for educational and medical expenses for seventy children in India, fifty among whom are girls. She often speaks out on women's issues: against female infanticide and foeticide, and in support of education for girls. A believer in feminism, Chopra has always been vocal about women's rights, gender equality, and gender pay inequality. In 2006, a "day with Chopra" was auctioned on eBay; the proceeds were donated to an NGO, Nanhi Kali, which helps educate girls in India. She has made appearances in support of other charities, such as the 2005 HELP! Telethon Concert to raise funds for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Chopra was appointed as the global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in December 2016. In 2017, she received the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice for her contribution towards social causes.