The Internet Movie Database—IMDb released a report featuring a comprehensive analysis of the Indian film industry’s evolution over the past 25 years. The report consists of a list that highlights actors who have consistently appeared in IMDb’s top five films each year over the past 25 years with Shah Rukh Khan appearing on top and Deepika Padukone leading the list of ‘Most Viewed Indian Stars of the Last Decade’.
As per the report, Shah Rukh’s 20 films have appeared in the top 130 movies in the past 25 years. His films ranked No. 1 each year from 2000-2004. “Even when he does not have a movie release, he remains a fixture in the IMDb Popular Indian Celebrities list, which highlights trending actors and filmmakers every week. In 2024, he appeared in the Top 10 of the list every single week of the year, underscoring a level of star power that few can match,” said the report.
Shah Rukh was followed by Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan, with 11 films each in the top 130 list. All three of them have a top movie in the last five years. Deepika had 10 films in the list followed by Ajay Devgn with 7 films and Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rani Mukerji each with 5 films. After them, Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, and Akshay Kumar each had 5 films in the list.
The report said that stars today function less as guarantors of success and more as multipliers of a movie’s intrinsic strengths. “The fans of today may line up for a selfie, but they may not show up for the movie. As stars become more relatable and fandom less devotional, the star-fan contract is less sacrosanct today,” said the report.
Deepika also ranked first in the Most Viewed Indian Stars of the Last Decade List in 2024, followed by Shah Rukh, Aishwarya, Alia Bhatt, Irrfan Khan and Aamir. Sushant Singh Rajput ranked 7 in the list which features Salman, Hrithik and Akshay at number 8, 9 and 10 respectively.
The report noted that women-led movies are “few and far in between” with their roles being “inconsistently written and unevenly rewarded at the box office”. “Rather than waiting for industry structures to shift, they are building diversified careers spanning global franchises, entrepreneurial ventures, and international projects,” said the report.
The IMDb report also noted the prominence of South Indian filmmakers with K.G.F: Chapter 2, Pushpa: The Rule- Part 2, Animal, Pushpa: The Rise- Part 1 and RRR making it to the top five movies in the country, based on page views from the states of India other than Southern states between the years 2020 and 2024. The report explains this rise by saying that language is no longer a barrier but a genre. “As more movies are filmed in multiple languages simultaneously and as collaborations make it harder to bracket a movie into a specific industry, the director’s narrative style will help audiences navigate content with greater confidence and select movies that align with their preferences.”
The report highlighted how cross-industry collaborations are being used as a means for audience expansion. Twelve out of the 25 most popular movies from the past five years analysed in the report feature substantial cross-industry collaboration across direction, casting, music, and distribution. Directors like Lokesh Kanagaraj and S.S. Rajamouli, with four titles each in the report, are leading the charge in making movies that transcend regional boundaries.
The report also noted the “emotional versatility” of Aamir Khan’s films with 3 Idiots being the most popular Indian movie worldwide on IMDb which also ranks No. 85 on the IMDb Global Top 250 chart. “Aamir Khan’s movies, from blend humour, emotion, and social critique in a way that transcends cultural boundaries, winning audiences in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and Africa,” said the report.