THIS actress became the Most Viewed Indian Star of the decade, beats Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai

How do you measure the popularity of a Bollywood star today? It’s no longer just about box office numbers or tried-and-tested formulas. Brand endorsements, social media presence, and digital viewership now play an equally crucial role in shaping a celebrity’s rank. In fact, one star from the Hindi film industry just made history by becoming the first female actor to top the list of Most Viewed Indian Stars of the decade, surpassing big names like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Alia Bhatt.

Deepika Padukone, IMDb's most viewed Indian star of the last decade

Deepika Padukone is at the number one spot of IMDb’s list of the top 100 most viewed Indian stars of the last decade.

The list is based on the page views of the 250 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide.

Deepika Padukone beats Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan

Padukone's co-star, Shah Rukh Khan, stood in second place.

While Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was in the third place, Alia Bhatt took the fourth spot. Late actor Irrfan Khan made it to the fifth position. Aamir Khan came in sixth, and the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput came in seventh.

Salman Khan was placed in the eighth spot in the list.

Interestingly, the majority of the top 20 stars hail from the Hindi film industry.

Meanwhile, the highest-ranked actors from India’s southern film industries are all women in the list. It included Samantha Ruth Prabhu at 13, Tamannaah Bhatia at 16, and Nayanthara at 18.

On the other hand, among male actors from the South, Prabhas, Dhanush, and Ram Charan bagged their positions from 29 to 31.

Meanwhile, talking about topping the list, Deepika Padukone was quoted by Variety, "IMDb stands as a beacon of credibility, reflecting the true pulse of people’s passion, interests, and preferences. This recognition is truly humbling and inspires me to continue connecting with and reciprocating the love I receive from audiences, both on and off screen, with authenticity and purpose.”

Deepika Padukone on her journey

Besides this, Padukone also made it to the top five of IMDb's list of 'Indian Cinema's Most Prolific Headliners' in the last 25 years.

Looking back at her journey, she told IMDb, “When I began my journey, I was often told how a woman must or is expected to navigate her career in order to be successful. However, from the very beginning, I was never afraid to ask questions, ruffle feathers, walk a more difficult path and challenge the status quo in order to reshape the mould we have all been expected to fit into.”

Padukone recently made news when her exit from big projects like Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD sequel was announced.

She was last seen in Rohit Shetty's Singham Again. She is set to reunite with Shah Rukh Khan in King after the success of Jawan.