Riding high on the back-to-back success of "Pathaan" and "Jawan", superstar Shah Rukh Khan has emerged as numero uno on IMDb's top 10 list of most popular Indian stars of 2023, which is otherwise dominated by female stars like Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and Wamiqa Gabbi.
The year is not over yet for Shah Rukh, who is now awaiting the release of his third and final film of 2023 with the Rajkumar Hirani-directed "Dunki" on December 21.
Bhatt, who claimed the second spot on the list for the second year in a row, had a major success in "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani" and made her Hollywood debut opposite Gal Gadot in Netflix movie "Heart of Stone".
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Padukone played the female lead in "Pathaan" and had an extended cameo in "Jawan".
Shah Rukh's "Jawan" co-stars Nayanthara, who features in the fifth spot, and Vijay Sethupathi also feature in the list. Nayanthara made her Hindi cinema debut with the movie, while Sethupathi (who is on number 10) was the main antagonist. He also played a cop in the Prime Video series "Farzi".
Nayanthara is followed by Tamannaah Bhatia, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sobhita Dhulipala.
All the three stars had major wins on streaming platforms -- Tamannaah in "Lust Stories 2", Kareena in "Jaane Jaan" and Sobhita in "Made in Heaven 2".
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Actor Akshay Kumar's much-discussed cameo in "OMG 2", "Mission Raniganj" and "Selfiee" helped him land in the ninth spot on the ranking by the website, a go-to place for information on movies, TV and celebrities.
"From Shah Rukh Khan’s return to the big screen with two blockbusters, to Alia Bhatt starring in international thriller 'Heart of Stone', the IMDb Most Popular Indian Stars of 2023 list reveals the Indian stars who generated the most fan excitement and engagement across the IMDb global audience this year,” said Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India, in a statement.
"Our unique year-end top 10 list is compiled based on the page views of hundreds of millions of fans globally who rely on IMDb to discover, decide what to watch, and learn more about their favorite stars,” Patodia added.
Bhatt, who came in second after her "Dear Zindagi" co-star Shah Rukh, thanked her fans.
"I’ve always believed that they are the real kings and queens, and nothing is beyond them. I thank my audience for bringing me to the position that I am at. While I hope to continue entertaining them, I am filled with only love and gratitude. I also promise to keep working hard and bringing more inspiring stories and characters on screen," the actor said.
Gabbi, known for her performance in web series "Jubilee", "Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley" as well as film "Khufiya", said she was thrilled to make her debut on the IMDb Most Popular Indian Stars list.
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"The fact that IMDb represents the sentiment of the global audience makes this even more special for me. From Vishal Bhardwaj's spy thriller 'Khufiya' and Vikramaditya Motwane’s period drama 'Jubilee', to the heartwarming web series 'Modern Love Chennai', and as well as the Punjabi film 'Kali Jotta', I’ve had a busy year working across genres and languages, and it makes me happy and grateful that my fans have appreciated that,” she added.
