Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) has firmly established his legacy as India’s most prolific star, a finding prominently featured in a new and authoritative report released by IMDb, the global movie database serving over 250 million monthly users.
The comprehensive study, titled “25 Years of Indian Cinema (2000–2025),” was unveiled on Tuesday and has sent ripples across the Indian film industry. It meticulously analyzed the top five most popular Indian films released annually between January 2000 and August 2025. This curated dataset of 130 films collectively accounts for an astounding over 9.1 million user ratings worldwide, providing a unique barometer of sustained global audience interest in Indian cinema over the last quarter-century.
The report confirms Shah Rukh Khan’s unparalleled influence, noting that he features in a remarkable 20 of the 130 most popular Indian films.
SRK’s star power was particularly concentrated in the early years of the new millennium. He dominated the early 2000s, starring in eight of the 25 most popular films released between 2000 and 2004. Furthermore, he successfully led the top movie for five consecutive years during this crucial period.
Even in years without a major release, the actor’s enduring stardom remained a tangible force. The report highlights that Khan maintained a constant presence on IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities list, consistently featuring in the top 10 throughout 2024. This finding unequivocally underscores the actor’s sustained appeal and longevity across generations of filmgoers.
Responding to the significant recognition, Shah Rukh Khan expressed his gratitude and core philosophy on filmmaking. “It’s pleasantly surprising and encouraging to see the impact films that I have been a part of have made,” Khan stated. “The goal has always been to entertain people and win over their love through storytelling. It’s always been my belief that the power of cinema lies in the fact that it can transcend boundaries of language and culture.”
He further added, emphasizing the global reach of his work: “To see that my films have entertained people not just in India but elsewhere, is very fulfilling. I am thankful that my journey over these 25 years has been highlighted in the IMDb report…. can’t help but say, ‘picture abhi baaki hai.’”
Beyond highlighting Khan’s legacy, the report also tracked the dynamic shifts in audience behaviour and the distribution of stardom. The analysis shows a definite diversification of leading actors in Indian cinema.
- Then vs. Now: The first five years of the millennium (2000–2004) saw only 13 male leads dominating the 25 most popular films.
- Today’s Market: The past five years, however, have featured 23 different male stars, with only Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Suriya, and Vijay appearing more than once, signalling a broader distribution of success and fame across regional industries.
IMDb provided a sharp commentary on this evolution: “Stars were once engines of success, but today they are a component of a larger machinery. They function less as guarantors of success and more as multipliers of a movie’s intrinsic strengths. Fans of today may line up for a selfie, but they may not show up for the movie.”
The IMDb report on “25 Years of Indian Cinema” not only solidifies Shah Rukh Khan’s unparalleled influence but also maps the significant shifts in the consumption and creation of Indian cinematic content over the past quarter-century.
Key Highlights:
- Shah Rukh Khan is named India’s Most Prolific Star in the IMDb report, featuring in 20 out of 130 of the most popular Indian films from 2000–2025.
- Khan demonstrated massive dominance in the early 2000s, starring in 8 of 25 top films and ranking No. 1 for five consecutive years. He maintained popularity, staying in the IMDb Celebrities Top 10 every week of 2024.
- The report notes a shift in stardom, moving from a few “engines of success” (13 male leads in 2000-2004) to a diversified market (23 different male stars in the last five years).
- IMDb concludes that stars now act as multipliers of a film’s strength, rather than guarantees of box-office success.