A relatively new face in Indian cinema has overtaken some of the country’s biggest stars online this week. Yudhvir Ahlawat has topped IMDb India’s latest “Most Popular Celebrities” rankings, surpassing names such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vijay, Jr NTR and even Shah Rukh Khan, who reportedly fell outside the top 30 this week.
The sudden rise follows Yudhvir’s performance in Kartavya, the Netflix thriller starring Saif Ali Khan.
Why Yudhvir Ahlawat is trending
In Kartavya, Yudhvir plays a 14-year-old boy who is manipulated into carrying out a hit job, while Saif Ali Khan’s police officer character attempts to protect him.
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The performance quickly gained attention after the film’s release on Netflix on May 15, with audiences and critics praising the emotional intensity of his role.
The appreciation translated into increased online searches and visits to his IMDb profile, eventually pushing him to the top of the platform’s weekly rankings. According to IMDb, the chart is determined by profile page visits generated by more than 250 million monthly users globally.
From Haryana to streaming breakout
Yudhvir hails from Haryana and began his acting career with Saand Ki Aankh in 2019.
He later appeared in projects including Love Hostel and the web series Co-Ed before gaining wider visibility through Kartavya. Although he played a teenager in the film, the actor had clarified in an earlier interview that he is not actually a minor despite his youthful appearance.
Internet reacts to IMDb rankings
The reaction on IMDb ratings was immediate and strong, particularly since Yudhvir managed to beat a number of celebrities who are currently making headlines.
Among those making the top of the list was Aishwarya Rai, due to her appearance at Cannes, while Vijay continued to make headlines after becoming the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
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Internet users congratulated the actor for the rating posted by IMDb India. One user commented that the actor “truly deserves the No. 1 ranking,” while others compared his screen presence to memorable child performances from classic Hindi films.
In this context, streaming movie premieres have come to determine celebrity recognition on the Internet. And for now, it seems that at least for this week, Yudhvir Ahlawat has become one of the most discussed young actors in India.
