Saiyaara Storms IMDb: Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda Top 2025 Star List, Mohit Suri Leads Directors!
MUMBAI: IMDb has unveiled its 2025 rankings of the Most Popular Indian Stars and its first-ever list of the Most Popular Indian Directors, and Saiyaara has swept both charts. Newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda sit at No. 1 and No. 2 on the star list after their breakout turns in the romantic drama, while filmmaker Mohit Suri leads the directors list.
The lists are compiled from IMDb’s weekly rankings across the entire year, driven by actual page views from over 250 million monthly visitors around the globe. With this edition, IMDb has formally recognised how Indian directors are becoming fan favourites in their own right, with world-building and storytelling now key drivers of online fandom.
Ahaan called the recognition a dream start to his film career, saying the No. 1 spot makes him more aware of his responsibility to his craft even as it fuels excitement for what comes next. He credited Mohit Suri’s direction, thanked producer Aditya Chopra and casting director Shanoo Sharma for backing him, and expressed gratitude to fans worldwide for embracing Saiyaara and his debut performance.
Aneet described being named among IMDb’s Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 as “unreal”, sharing that Saiyaara has changed her life and that knowing audiences across countries connected with her character Vaani means more than numbers. She thanked Mohit Suri for seeing her potential early, along with Aditya Chopra, Shanoo Sharma, producer Akshaye Widhani and the entire Saiyaara team for steady support as she steps into her next projects.
Top Indian stars list
IMDb Top 10 Most Popular Indian Stars of 2025 are:
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Ahaan Panday
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Aneet Padda
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Aamir Khan
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Ishaan Khatter
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Lakshya
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Rashmika Mandanna
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Kalyani Priyadarshan
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Triptii Dimri
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Rukmini Vasanth
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Rishab Shetty
IMDb notes that Ishaan Khatter and Triptii Dimri are the only names to repeat from the 2024 list, while Rashmika Mandanna stands out for a packed slate across Hindi and Telugu releases like Chhaava, Sikandar, Thamma, Kuberaa and The Girlfriend.
Top Indian directors list
IMDb Top 10 Most Popular Indian Directors of 2025 are:
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Mohit Suri
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Aryan Khan
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Lokesh Kanagaraj
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Anurag Kashyap
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Prithviraj Sukumaran
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R.S. Prasanna
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Anurag Basu
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Dominic Arun
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Laxman Utekar
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Neeraj Ghaywan
Aryan Khan makes his directorial debut on the chart with his buzzy series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, becoming both the youngest filmmaker and the only series director on the list. Neeraj Ghaywan appears at No. 10 after directing Homebound, which has been chosen as India’s official entry to the 2026 Academy Awards.
Both the star and director rankings underline how Saiyaara and its team have dominated audience curiosity in 2025, while also highlighting a larger shift where filmmakers share the spotlight with actors in India’s online popularity charts.
