Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda have claimed the top two positions on IMDb‘s Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 list following their performances in Yash Raj Films’ romantic drama “Saiyaara.”
The ranking, based on page views from more than 250 million monthly visitors worldwide throughout 2025, marks a historic sweep for the film directed by Mohit Suri, who himself tops IMDb’s inaugural Most Popular Indian Directors list. Both actors previously received the IMDb “Breakout Star” STARmeter Award in August, which the platform notes has proven a reliable predictor of emerging talent.
“To be ranked No. 1 on the IMDb Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 list with my first film is nothing short of a dream come true,” Panday said. “This recognition makes me a little more aware of the responsibility I have towards my craft, and at the same time, it excites me for what’s to come.”
The actor credited Suri’s direction and thanked Yash Raj Films chief Aditya Chopra for the opportunity to prove himself on screen, along with casting director Shanoo Sharma and producer Akshaye Widhani. “I thank everyone for helping the stars align and giving me something I could cherish for a lifetime, but mainly, I thank everyone for allowing the grandson of a heart surgeon to be a vessel for love,” he said.
Padda expressed similar gratitude for the recognition. “‘Saiyaara’ changed my life in ways I am only beginning to understand, and to know that people across countries and languages connected with my work means more to me than I can explain,” she said. The actor credited Suri for his confidence in her abilities and thanked the film’s production team for their support.
Rounding out the top 10 stars are Aamir Khan (No. 3), Ishaan Khatter (No. 4), Lakshya (No. 5), Rashmika Mandanna (No. 6), Kalyani Priyadarshan (No. 7), Triptii Dimri (No. 8), Rukmini Vasanth (No. 9) and Rishab Shetty (No. 10). Khatter and Dimri are the only actors who appeared on both the 2024 and 2025 lists.
Mandanna had a particularly prolific year with releases spanning multiple languages and genres, including the Hindi-language films “Chhaava,” “Sikandar” and “Thamma,” plus the Telugu-language titles “Kuberaa” and “The Girlfriend.”
“In the 25 Years of Indian Cinema IMDb Industry Report, we highlighted the emergence of directors as the key architects of this new era of Indian cinema,” said Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India. “Filmmakers now consistently appear on our weekly rankings alongside actors, signaling that directors themselves are becoming fan favorites, with world-building and storytelling as the new engines of fandom.”
The directors list features Suri at No. 1, followed by Aryan Khan (No. 2), Lokesh Kanagaraj (No. 3), Anurag Kashyap (No. 4), Prithviraj Sukumaran (No. 5), R.S. Prasanna (No. 6), Anurag Basu (No. 7), Dominic Arun (No. 8), Laxman Utekar (No. 9) and Neeraj Ghaywan (No. 10).
Khan, who made his directorial debut with Netflix series “The Ba***ds of Bollywood,” is the youngest filmmaker on the list and the only series director featured. Ghaywan directed “Homebound,” India’s entry to the 2026 Academy Awards.