Inner Glow

These Bollywood beauties are lit from within in more ways than one

Like the maharanis of another time, our moviestars are today the unofficial ambassadors of Indian beauty and style. But there’s more to these modern-day queens than their luminous grace and red-carpet flair. They use their considerable global influence to focus the limelight on causes dear to their heart. Whether it’s animal rights, mental healthcare or environmental conservation, these actors and role models have thrown their support behind the issues that affect us all. They’re followed by millions of young people on social media platforms and it’s heartening to see how they’re leveraging this massive reach to power important campaigns and start crucial conversations. Let’s see how three of our favourite Bollywood actors are leading the change.

Deepika Padukone

When Deepika Padukone first spoke about being diagnosed with depression, she forced the country to confront a condition that has long been swept under the rug. Given that social stigma makes life worse for those suffering this illness, just the fact of having a celebrity like her speak honestly about her own experience made a big difference. But Deepika then went one step further. She founded an organization led by mental health professionals to extend support and resources to all those who need it. Besides being a useful online directory of helplines and therapists, The Live Love Laugh Foundation also conducts on-ground programs with schools and in smaller towns and rural areas to raise awareness and disperse the stigma that keeps people from finding help. Listen as Deepika speaks in a new TLLLF campaign, #NotAshamed

Dia Mirza

She’s a vocal and articulate spokesperson for many causes including ending female foeticide and making education accessible to all, but Dia Mirza has a special place in her heart for the environment. She was appointed the UN Environment's Goodwill Ambassador for India and in that role, she has gathered support within the film fraternity and got celebrities like Ranbir Kapoor and Karan Johar to raise a voice against plastic pollution. Dia has also represented India at various international environment summits and argued passionately for sustainable development. Recently, she hosted the Champions of the Earth Awards in New York for the second year. It’s a ceremony that recognizes, as Dia puts it: “People and organisations that truly care about progress and the planet united by the belief that profitability cannot come at the cost of the environment.” A look inside Dia's 'green' home in Mumbai

Jacqueline Fernandez

If you follow her on Instagram you know that Jacqueline loves animals—and not just her own adorably fluffy cat Yoda! She’s spoken against animal testing in her capacity as brand ambassador for The Body Shop. But even outside her work commitments, the actor and model is genuinely invested in the safety and health of animals everywhere as her work with PETA has shown. She has campaigned against the abuse of horses by urging her fans to boycott horse-drawn carriages and regularly speaks out in defense of animals endangered by poaching and marine pollution. Jacqueline has also worked with the international organization Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild the areas devastated by the Chennai floods of 2015. This effort won her the Humanitarian of the Year Award at the 2017 Asian Voice Charity Awards. Jacqueline in a video to raise awareness of the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development, especially those relating to women and girls