GRAZIA Cool LIST 2023

As we edge towards the last few months of this year, it's safe to say that we've seen some unconventional choices and path-breaking projects that have made everyone sit up and take notice.

- SAMREEN TUNGEKAR, NIDA NAEEM, PRATIKSHA ACHARYA, ΚΟΝΙΚΑ DATTA

This list celebrates personalities from the worlds of fashion, film, food, music and art who have dared to take risks, beat the odds, and create a niche of their own. They keep it real while they're hard at work. And they're not afraid to show the world exactly who they are. In the ceaseless rhythm of popular culture, these names don't have to try hard to be cool. They just are.

APARSHAKTI KHURANA

ACTOR

Aparshakti Khurana has notably done some incredible work - a debut in Dangal (2016) that didn't go unnoticed was just the beginning. His Bittu in Stree was hilarious, among other eye-catching onscreen appearances. But 2023 has to be the year where Khurana has been broken out of the comedy mould, and it is with his Madan Kumar in Vikramaditya Motwane's Jubilee that the actor seems to have found a new arc.

While his initial innings were all about his comic timing, Khurana proved that he has more than that to offer, with his Jubilee act becoming the talk of the town. He was also seen in Dhokha last year, where he plays a Kashmiri terrorist. These new projects have changed his trajectory and added a new feather to his hat - and the versatility factor has kicked in. "I'm an artist who is not only an actor, I'm a host, and a sportsperson, and that sets me apart," he says.

The actor has, no doubt, been a part of some really successful projects, and acknowledges that humbly. "I think I've been in the right place at the right time. Not very often will the audience accept you in such different roles. I have a lot of gratitude for the audience for accepting me in different ways," he says.

RADHIKA MADAN

ACTOR