THE NEW POWER GRADS

SOME OF THEIR JOURNEYS MAY NOT SPAN EVEN A DECADE BUT THEY HAVE ARRIVED IN TERMS OF HAVING A SHARE OF VOICE, A MUCH-COVETED PLACE IN THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS AND A TRAJECTORY FILLED WITH INDIVIDUALISM AND VISION. HELLO! PRESENTS THE NEW POWERPACK ACROSS VARIED INDUSTRIES

- SANGEETA WADHWANI, SANGHITA SINGH AND ANKITA RATHOD

ADITYA THACKERAY

Who: Politician, Minister of Tourism and Environment in the Maharashtra government

Education: He finished schooling at the Bombay Scottish before pursuing LLB from KC College, Mumbai

Disruptive Conquests: Aditya, who had been batting for all-night eateries and other establishments in the city since 2013, approved the much-applauded Mumbai 24x7 Plan, last month. His big win in the recently-concluded Maharashtra elections is the stuff of history as he became the first Thackeray to contest elections.

Milestone Moves: While he had always been in the news for supporting various projects related to the upliftment of Mumbai, Aditya became a youth icon when he took a stand against the Mumbai Metro project that threatened to wipe numerous trees in Aarey Colony. Apart from politics Aditya also takes a keen interest in writing – he wrote his first book, My Thoughts in Black and White in 2007. He also turned lyricist when he wrote songs for an album titled Ummeed.

View on Leadership: Thackeray has his grandfather’s streak, they say. He uses his gift of the gab to mobilise his followers. He was an instant hit when he tweeted, “The vigour with which the @MumbaiMetro3 is slyly and swiftly cutting down an ecosystem in Aarey is shameful and disgusting. How about posting these officials in PoK, giving them charge to destroy terror camps rather than trees?”

Looking ahead: This ubersophisticated minister has been winning votes and admirers in equal measure. From talking about air-pollution to working on implementing a single-use plastic ban, Thackeray has surely caught on to the pulse of the youth with his future-ready ideas.

ALIA BHATT

Who: Actress