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The Most Famous

ACTORS from India

This page contains a list of the greatest Indian Actors. The pantheon dataset contains 9,996 Actors, 481 of which were born in India. This makes India the birth place of the 3rd most number of Actors behind United States and United Kingdom.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Indian Actors of all time. This list of famous Indian Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Indian Actors.

1. Amitabh Bachchan (1942 - )

With an HPI of 78.77, Amitabh Bachchan is the most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 108 different languages on wikipedia.

Amitabh Bachchan (pronounced [əmɪˈt̪ɑːbʱ ˈbətːʃən] ; born as Amitabh Srivastava; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. With a cinematic journey spanning over five decades, he has played pivotal roles in over 200 films. Widely recognised as one of the greatest actors of all time, he is considered to be amongst the most accomplished and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. Bachchan is often hailed as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi Ke Mahanayak (translated as "Greatest actor of the century" in Hindi), Star of the Millennium, or simply Big B. His dominance in the Indian film industry during the 1970s–80s led the French director François Truffaut to describe it as a "one-man industry". Bachchan was born in 1942 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to the Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and his wife, the social activist Teji Bachchan. He was educated at Sherwood College, Nainital, and Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. His film career started in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's film Bhuvan Shome. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films, such as Anand, Zanjeer, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, and achieved greater stardom in later years, dubbed India's "angry young man" for several of his on-screen roles in Hindi films. He consistently starred in top grossing Indian films with critical acclaim since mid 1970s to 80s, such as Deewaar, Sholay, Kabhi Kabhie, Hera Pheri, Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish, Kasme Vaade, Trishul, Don, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Suhaag, Dostana, Naseeb, Laawaris, Namak Halaal, Coolie, Sharaabi and Mard, as well as some of his most acclaimed performances, include Namak Haraam, Abhimaan, Majboor, Mili, Chupke Chupke, Kaala Patthar, Shaan, Yaarana, Kaalia, Shakti, Aakhree Raasta, Shahenshah and Agneepath. After taking a break from acting in the 1990s, his resurgence was marked in 2000 with Mohabbatein. Since then he starred in several successful and acclaimed films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Aankhen, Baghban, Khakee, Black, Bunty Aur Babli, Sarkar, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Paa, Piku, Pink, Badla and Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva. For Piku, he won his fourth National Film Award for Best Actor, making him the only actor to do so. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, The Great Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character. He has won numerous accolades in his career, including record four National Film Awards in Best Actor category and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies. He has won sixteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare with 34 nominations in Best Actor and 42 nominations overall. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in 2015, and India's highest award in the field of cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2018 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer, and television presenter. He has hosted several seasons of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, India's version of the game show franchise, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He also entered politics for a time in the 1980s. Bachchan has also been involved in several humanitarian works and he is a leading brand endorser in India. Beyond the Indian subcontinent, he acquired a large overseas following of the South Asian diaspora, as well as others, in markets including Africa (South Africa, Eastern Africa, and Mauritius), the Middle East (especially UAE and Egypt), the United Kingdom, Russia, Central Asia, the Caribbean (Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), Oceania (Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand), Canada and the United States. Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" by BBC Your Millennium online poll in 1999. In October 2003, TIME magazine dubbed Bachchan the "Star of the Millennium".

2. Vivien Leigh (1913 - 1967)

With an HPI of 76.69, Vivien Leigh is the 2nd most famous Indian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 93 different languages.

Vivien Leigh ( LEE; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), a role she had also played on stage in London's West End in 1949. She also won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway musical version of Tovarich (1963). Although her career had periods of inactivity, in 1999 the American Film Institute ranked Leigh as the 16th-greatest female movie star of classic Hollywood cinema. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progressed to the role of heroine in Fire Over England (1937). Lauded for her beauty, Leigh felt that her physical attributes sometimes prevented her from being taken seriously as an actress. Despite her fame as a screen actress, Leigh was primarily a stage performer. During her 30-year career, she played roles ranging from the heroines of Noël Coward and George Bernard Shaw comedies to classic Shakespearean characters such as Ophelia, Cleopatra, Juliet and Lady Macbeth. Later in life, she performed as a character actress in a few films. At the time, the public strongly identified Leigh with her second husband, Laurence Olivier, who was her spouse from 1940 to 1960. Leigh and Olivier starred together in many stage productions, with Olivier often directing, and in three films. She earned a reputation for being difficult to work with, and for much of her life she had bipolar disorder, as well as recurrent bouts of chronic tuberculosis, which was first diagnosed in the mid-1940s and ultimately led to her death at age 53.

3. Shah Rukh Khan (1965 - )

With an HPI of 71.72, Shah Rukh Khan is the 3rd most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 107 different languages.

Shah Rukh Khan (pronounced [ˈʃɑːɦɾʊx xɑːn] ; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the "Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has appeared in more than 100 films, and earned numerous accolades, including 14 Filmfare Awards. He has been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, as well as the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Legion of Honour by the Government of France. Khan has a significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide. In terms of audience size and income, several media outlets have described him as one of the most successful film stars in the world. Many of his films thematise Indian national identity and connections with diaspora communities, or gender, racial, social and religious differences and grievances. Khan began his career with appearances in several television series in the late 1980s and made his Bollywood debut in 1992 with the musical romance Deewana. He was initially recognised for playing villainous roles in the films Baazigar (1993) and Darr (1993). Khan established himself by starring in a series of top-grossing romantic films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of an alcoholic in the period romantic drama Devdas (2002), a NASA scientist in the social drama Swades (2004), a hockey coach in the sports drama Chak De! India (2007), and a man with Asperger syndrome in the drama My Name Is Khan (2010). Further commercial successes came with the romances Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), and with his expansion to comedies in Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014). Following a brief setback and hiatus, Khan made a career comeback with the 2023 action thrillers Pathaan and Jawan, both of which rank among the highest-grossing Indian films. As of 2015, Khan is co-chairman of the motion picture production company Red Chillies Entertainment and its subsidiaries and is the co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders and the Caribbean Premier League team Trinbago Knight Riders. The media often label him as "Brand SRK" because of his many endorsements and entrepreneurship ventures. He is a frequent television presenter and stage show performer. Khan's philanthropic endeavours have provided health care and disaster relief, and he was honoured with UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award in 2011 for his support of children's education and the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award in 2018 for advocating for women's and children's rights in India. He regularly features in listings of the most influential people in Indian culture, and in 2008, Newsweek named him one of their fifty most powerful people in the world. In 2022, Khan was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time in a readers' poll by Empire, and in 2023, Time named him as one of the most influential people in the world.

4. Julie Christie (1940 - )

With an HPI of 69.06, Julie Christie is the 4th most famous Indian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 63 different languages.

Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has appeared in six films ranked in the British Film Institute's BFI Top 100 British films of the 20th century, and in 1997, she received the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement. Christie's breakthrough film role was in Billy Liar (1963). She came to international attention for her performances in Darling (1965), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and Doctor Zhivago (also 1965), the eighth highest-grossing film of all time after adjustment for inflation. She continued to receive Academy Award nominations, for McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), Afterglow (1997) and Away from Her (2007). In the following years, Christie starred in Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Petulia (1968), The Go-Between (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), Shampoo (1975), and Heaven Can Wait (1978). She is also known for her performances in Hamlet (1996), and Finding Neverland (2004), Troy and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (both 2004).

5. Aishwarya Rai (1973 - )

With an HPI of 68.07, Aishwarya Rai is the 5th most famous Indian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 106 different languages.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (pronounced [ɛːʃʋəɾjᵊ ɾɑːj ˈbətːʃən]; née Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of the most-popular and influential celebrities in India. She has received numerous accolades for her acting, including two Filmfare Awards. In 2004, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2009, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri and in 2012, the Government of France awarded her with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In the 2000s and 2010s, media often called her "the most beautiful woman in the world". While in college, Rai modelled and appeared in several television commercials, and entered the Miss India pageant, in which she was placed second. She was then crowned Miss World 1994, made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam's 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her Hindi film debut in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya that year. Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans (1998), which at the time was the most expensive Indian film. She achieved wider success and won two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for her performances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's romantic dramas Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002). Rai garnered critical appreciation for portraying a passionate artist in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), a seductive widow in Chokher Bali (2003), an unhappily married woman in Raincoat (2004), Kiranjit Ahluwalia in Provoked (2006), and a nurse in Bhansali's Guzaarish (2010). Her greatest commercial successes have been the romantic dramas Mohabbatein (2000) and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), the adventure film Dhoom 2 (2006), the biographical drama Guru (2007), the science-fiction film Enthiran (2010), and the period films Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023). Rai's off-screen roles include being an ambassador for several charity organisations and supporting philanthropic causes through her namesake foundation. She was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2012. She has also participated in stage shows and is an investor and prominent brand endorser. In 2003, she was the first Indian female actor to be a juror at Cannes Film Festival. She married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007, with whom she has a daughter.

6. Salman Khan (1965 - )

With an HPI of 66.53, Salman Khan is the 6th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 87 different languages.

Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (pronounced [səlˈmɑːn xɑːn]; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works predominantly in Hindi films. In a career spanning over three decades, Khan has received numerous awards, including two National Film Awards as a film producer, and a Filmfare Award as an actor. He is cited in the media as one of the most commercially successful actors of Indian cinema. Forbes has included Khan in listings of the highest-paid celebrities in the world, in 2015 and 2018, with him being the highest-ranked Indian in the latter year. Khan has starred in the annual highest-grossing Hindi film of 10 individual years, the highest for any actor. Khan began his acting career with a supporting role in Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), followed by his breakthrough with a leading role in Sooraj Barjatya's romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). He established himself in the 1990s, with several commercially successful films, including Barjatya's family dramas Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), the action film Karan Arjun (1995) and the comedy Biwi No.1 (1999). After a period of fluctuations in the 2000s, Khan achieved greater stardom in the 2010s by starring in the top-grossing action films Dabangg (2010), Ready (2011), Bodyguard (2011), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Dabangg 2 (2012), Kick (2014), and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), and dramas such as Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and Sultan (2016). This was followed by a series of poorly-received films, with the exception of the sequel Tiger 3 (2023). In addition to his acting career, Khan is a television presenter and promotes humanitarian causes through his charity, Being Human Foundation. He has been hosting the reality show Bigg Boss since 2010. Khan's off-screen life is marred by controversy and legal troubles. In 2015, he was convicted of culpable homicide for a negligent driving case in which he ran over five people with his car, killing one, but his conviction was set aside on appeal. On 5 April 2018, Khan was convicted in a blackbuck poaching case and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He is currently out on bail while an appeal is being heard.

7. Girish Karnad (1938 - 2019)

With an HPI of 57.14, Girish Karnad is the 7th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi films. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the coming of age of modern Indian playwriting in Kannada, just as Badal Sarkar did in Bengali, Vijay Tendulkar in Marathi, and Mohan Rakesh in Hindi. He was a recipient of the 1998 Jnanpith Award, the highest literary honour conferred in India. For four decades Karnad composed plays, often using history and mythology to tackle contemporary issues. He translated his plays into English and received acclaim. His plays have been translated into some Indian languages and directed by directors like Ebrahim Alkazi, B. V. Karanth, Alyque Padamsee, Prasanna, Arvind Gaur, Satyadev Dubey, Vijaya Mehta, Shyamanand Jalan, Amal Allanaa and Zafer Mohiuddin. He was active in the world of Indian cinema working as an actor, director and screenwriter, in Hindi and Kannada cinema, and has earned awards. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India and won four Filmfare Awards, of which three are Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada and the fourth a Filmfare Best Screenplay Award. He was a presenter for a weekly science magazine programme called "Turning Point" that aired on Doordarshan in 1991.

8. Ajay Devgn (1969 - )

With an HPI of 56.97, Ajay Devgn is the 8th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 52 different languages.

Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director, and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema. A leading actor of Hindi cinema, Devgn has appeared in over 100 films and has won numerous accolades, including four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. In 2016, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour. Devgn emerged a star with his first film, the 1991 action romance Phool Aur Kaante, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He played further action roles in the films Jigar (1992), Vijaypath (1994), Dilwale (1994), Jaan (1996) and Diljale (1996), and romantic roles in Ishq (1997), Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). For playing a riot victim in Zakhm (1998) and Bhagat Singh in The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), he twice won the National Film Award for Best Actor. He also gained praise for the crime dramas Company (2002) and Omkara (2006). After expanding to comedies with Rohit Shetty's Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Devgn collaborated with Shetty on a number of action and comedy films, including Golmaal Returns (2008), Golmaal 3 (2010), Singham (2011), Singham Returns (2014), and Golmaal Again (2017). His highest-grossing releases came with Total Dhamaal (2019), Tanhaji (2020) and Drishyam 2 (2022). For portraying the title role in Tanhaji, he won this third National Film Award for Best Actor. Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms, which was established in 2000. He has also starred in and directed the films U Me Aur Hum (2008), Runway 34 (2022), and Bholaa (2023). He is married to actress Kajol, with whom he has two children.

9. Dharmendra (1935 - )

With an HPI of 56.68, Dharmendra is the 9th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 44 different languages.

Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935) is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Nicknamed the "He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra is widely regarded to be amongst the most handsome Indian actors of his time. In 2012, he received the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, from the Government of India. Dharmendra has worked in over 300 films in a career spanning over six decades. He is considered one of the most successful actors in the history of Hindi cinema. After making his debut in a small film, Dharmendra first gained popularity in the mid-1960s for films, such as Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Kaajal, Phool Aur Patthar among others. He then achieved greater stardom in later years, dubbed India's Garam Dharam for several of his on-screen roles in Hindi films. He consistently starred in top grossing Hindi films since the late 1960s to 1980s, including Ankhen, Shikar, Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Jeevan Mrityu, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, Jugnu, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Dost, Sholay, Pratiggya, Charas, Dharam Veer, Chacha Bhatija, Azaad, Ram Balram, Kaatilon Ke Kaatil, Ghulami, Hukumat, Aag Hi Aag, Elaan-E-Jung and Tahalka, as well as some of his most acclaimed performances, include Anpadh, Bandini, Haqeeqat, Anupama, Mamta, Majhli Didi, Satyakam, Samadhi, Resham Ki Dori, Chupke Chupke, Dillagi and The Burning Train. Beginning in the late 1990s, he appeared in character roles in several successful and acclaimed films, such as Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Life in a... Metro, Apne, Johnny Gaddaar, Yamla Pagla Deewana, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Bollywood. He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India, representing the Bikaner constituency in Rajasthan from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

10. Shilpa Shetty (1975 - )

With an HPI of 56.65, Shilpa Shetty is the 10th most famous Indian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 52 different languages.

Shilpa Shetty Kundra (born Ashwini Shetty on 8 June 1975) is an Indian actress and television personality. She made her screen debut in the thriller Baazigar (1993) which gained her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She had intermittent success in the rest of the decade, such as in the action films Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) and Jaanwar (1999). The romantic drama Dhadkan (2000) marked a turning point in Shetty's career. This was followed by roles in Indian (2001) and Rishtey (2002), which earned her a second Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Shetty received praise for playing a woman with AIDS in the drama Phir Milenge (2004), which earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She subsequently appeared in the action thriller Dus (2005), the ensemble drama Life in a... Metro (2007), and the sports drama Apne (2007), and gained attention for the song "Shut Up & Bounce" in the film Dostana (2008). This was followed by a hiatus from acting. In 2006, she ventured into reality television by judging the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. In early 2007, Shetty joined the fifth season of the UK reality show Celebrity Big Brother, ultimately winning the season. During her stay, Shetty received international media coverage and attention for the racism she endured from several of her housemates. Her win was followed by a spot hosting the second season of the Indian version of the show, Bigg Boss in 2008. Shetty has since appeared as a judge on several dance and music reality-competition shows, including Zara Nachke Dikha (2010), Nach Baliye (2012–2020) and Super Dancer (2016–2021), and she has made appearances on Indian Idol (2021–2023). She returned to acting in 2021 with the comedy film Hungama 2 and has since starred in the action series Indian Police Force (2024). In addition to her screen work, Shetty is a celebrity endorser for various brands and products, and she has been vocal about personal issues such as feminism, vegetarianism and animal rights. Shetty has worked with PETA since 2006 as part of an advertising campaign against the use of wild animals in circuses. She is also a fitness enthusiast and she launched her own Yoga DVD in 2015. She is involved in several fitness campaigns such as the Fit India Movement, launched by the Government of India. Shetty was awarded the Champions of Change Award for her work on the Swachh Bharat Mission cleanliness campaign. From 2009 to 2015, she was a part-owner of the Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals.

People

Pantheon has 481 people classified as actors born between 1877 and 2008. Of these 481, 407 (84.62%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living actors include Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Julie Christie. The most famous deceased actors include Vivien Leigh, Girish Karnad, and Amrish Puri. As of April 2022, 89 new actors have been added to Pantheon including Soumitra Chatterjee, Kumar Pallana, and Michael Bates.