‘Saiyaara’ Actors Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda Lead IMDb’s 2025 Ranking of Most Popular Indian Celebrities (EXCLUSIVE)

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda have secured the first and second positions on IMDbs Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 chart, thanks to their roles in Yash Raj Films romantic drama Saiyaara. The rankings, determined by page views from over 250 million monthly visitors worldwide throughout 2025, highlight a historic achievement for the Mohit Suri-directed film. Suri himself leads IMDbs first-ever Most Popular Indian Directors list.

Both actors were previously honored with the IMDb Breakout Star STARmeter Award in August, an accolade noted for reliably predicting rising talent.

Panday said, To be ranked No. 1 on the IMDb Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 list with my debut film is a dream realized. This recognition reminds me of the responsibility I hold toward my craft and excites me for the future. He acknowledged Suris direction, thanked Yash Raj Films chief Aditya Chopra for the opportunity, and expressed gratitude to casting director Shanoo Sharma and producer Akshaye Widhani. I am thankful for everyone who made this possible and allowed me, the grandson of a heart surgeon, to portray a vessel for love, Panday added.

Padda shared her appreciation as well. Saiyaara transformed my life in ways I am just beginning to comprehend. Knowing that audiences across languages and countries connected with my performance means more than words can express, she said, crediting Suris faith in her abilities and the support of the production team.

The top ten stars list also includes 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 were the only actors featured on both the 2024 and 2025 lists. Mandanna had a notably busy year with releases in multiple languages and genres, including Hindi films Chhaava, Sikandar, and Thamma, as well as Telugu films Kuberaa and The Girlfriend.

Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India, commented, Our 25 Years of Indian Cinema report highlighted directors as key architects of contemporary Indian cinema. Filmmakers are now appearing alongside actors in weekly rankings, showing that directors are becoming fan favorites through world-building and storytelling.

The directors rankings place Mohit 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). Aryan Khan, who debuted with the Netflix series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, is the youngest director on the list and the only series director included. Ghaywan directed Homebound, Indias submission for the 2026 Academy Awards.

Author: Sophia Brooks