Yahoo Lifestyle ‘Kalki 2898 AD,’ ‘Heeramandi’ Top IMDb’s Most Popular Indian Films and Series Lists for 2024 (EXCLUSIVE)
Sci-fi epic “Kalki 2898 AD” and Netflix’s period drama series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” secured the top spots on IMDb’s Most Popular Indian Movies and Web Series lists for 2024, respectively. The rankings, based on page views from IMDb’s 250 million monthly visitors, showcase the expanding reach of Indian content across genres and languages.
The film rankings reflect India’s multilingual entertainment landscape, with seven Hindi-language films joined by Telugu (“Kalki 2898 AD”), Tamil (“Maharaja”), and Malayalam (“Manjummel Boys”) entries. Franchise offerings maintained their draw, with “Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank,” “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3,” and “Singham Again” all landing in the top 10.
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“Kalki 2898 AD” director Nag Ashwin credited the global audience response for the film’s success. “We poured our souls into the film and it’s so humbling to see it resonate with all ages across the world,” said Ashwin.
On the streaming front, Netflix and Prime Video dominated the series rankings with three titles each. Netflix India’s series head Tanya Bami highlighted their trio of successes: chart-topper “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,” legal comedy “Maamla Legal Hai” at No. 6, and “The Great Indian Kapil Show” closing the top 10.
Shilangi Mukherji, director and head, SVOD, Prime Video, India, noted the platform’s strong showing demonstrated the success of their dual strategy in launching new series while building established franchises. With “Mirzapur,” “Panchayat,” and “Citadel: Honey Bunny” all landing in the top five, Mukherji expressed optimism about the platform’s content lineup for 2025.
Deepika Padukone emerged as a standout performer, appearing in three listed films: “Fighter,” “Kalki 2898 AD,” and “Singham Again.” The rankings also marked a milestone for non-fiction content, with “The Great Indian Kapil Show” becoming the first such series to make IMDb’s year-end list.
“Laapataa Ladies,” which placed 10th among films, carries additional significance as India’s official submission for the 97th Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category.
Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India, said: “These lists showcase the incredible breadth of Indian storytelling that captivated global audiences this year.”
The lists encompass Indian content released between Jan. 1 and Nov. 25, 2024, with titles requiring a minimum IMDb user rating of 5 to qualify for consideration.
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