EntertainmentPosted at: Dec 3 2025 12:02PM


Saiyaara stars Panday and Padda sweep ‘IMDb Popularity Rankings’

Los Angeles/New Delhi, Dec 3 (UNI) Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda have claimed the top two spots on IMDb’s Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 list, following their acclaimed performances in Yash Raj Films’ romantic drama Saiyaara, reported Variety.
The rankings, determined by page views from over 250 million monthly visitors worldwide throughout 2025, mark a historic sweep for the Mohit Suri-directed film, who himself tops IMDb’s inaugural Most Popular Indian Directors list.
Both Panday and Padda were earlier recognised with the IMDb “Breakout Star” STARmeter Award in August—a distinction the platform highlights as a reliable predictor of rising 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,” said Panday. “This recognition makes me more aware of my responsibility towards my craft, while also exciting me for what’s to come.”
Panday credited director Mohit Suri, Yash Raj Films chief Aditya Chopra, casting director Shanoo Sharma, and producer Akshaye Widhani for the opportunity.
“I thank everyone for helping the stars align and giving me something I could cherish for a lifetime. Mainly, I thank everyone for allowing the grandson of a heart surgeon to be a vessel for love,” he added, as quoted by Variety.
Padda echoed the sentiment, “‘Saiyaara’ changed my life in ways I am only beginning to understand. To know that people across countries and languages are connected with my work means more than I can explain.”
She also thanked Suri for his confidence and 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, as per Variety.
Mandanna had a particularly prolific year with releases across multiple languages and genres, including Hindi films Chhaava, Sikandar, and Thamma, as well as Telugu titles Kuberaa and The Girlfriend.
“In the 25 Years of Indian Cinema IMDb Industry Report, we highlighted the emergence of directors as 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, showing that directors themselves are becoming fan favorites, with world-building and storytelling as the new engines of fandom.”
The directors list is topped by 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 made his directorial debut with the 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 official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards.
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