Hindi
IMDb unveils 2023’s top Indian films and web series
Mumbai: IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities, announced the 10 Indian movies released theatrically, the 10 movies that premiered on streaming services, and the 10 web series that were the most popular with IMDb users worldwide in 2023. IMDb year-end lists are based on the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide, who rely on IMDb to discover and decide what to watch.
Atlee, director of Jawan, the number one ranking theatrical release of 2023, said, “Jawan is a captivating, emotional, action-entertainer that intricately portrays the profound emotional odyssey of a man who is determined to rectify societal injustices. This film holds a significant place in our hearts. Its reception and love from the audience worldwide is overwhelming. Throughout my formative years, my knowledge and appreciation of world cinema has been greatly enriched by IMDb. Being honored by IMDb is truly a dream come true for me. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Shah Rukh Khan sir, Red Chillies Entertainment, my wife, my team, and the esteemed audience for their invaluable contributions in making this achievement possible. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to each and every one of you.”
Karan Johar, director of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, the number three ranking theatrical release of the year, shared, “The team and I are overwhelmed with the love and warmth we have received for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. To be on the top 10 list of IMDb is a massive validation of the film’s reception. I am grateful and even more energized as a filmmaker.”
“How absolutely thrilling to see both the series we released this year being loved so much,” said Farzi and Guns & Gulaabs (ranked the number one and number two web series of 2023) directors Raj & DK. “Both are such distinctly different worlds that we created for Prime Video and for Netflix. It’s quite something to have a win for both popular streaming services. Thank you, IMDb, for being consistently there for all the film lovers.”
IMDb Top 10 Most Popular Indian Movies of 2023 (Theatrical)
1 Jawan
2 Pathaan
3 Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
4 Leo
5 OMG 2
6 Jailer
7 Gadar 2
9 The Kerala Story
9 Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar
10 Bholaa
*Of all the movies first released theatrically in India between January 1 and November 6, 2023, that have an average IMDb user rating of 5 or higher, these 10 titles were consistently the most popular with IMDb users, as determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide.
IMDb top 10 most popular Indian movies of 2023 (streaming)
1 Lust Stories 2
2 Jaane Jaan
3 Mission Majnu
4 Bawaal
5 Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga
6 Bloody Daddy
7 Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai
8 Gaslight
9 Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery
10 Mrs Undercover
*Of all the movies first released direct-to-streaming in India between January 1 and November 6, 2023, that have an average IMDb user rating of 5 or higher, these 10 titles were consistently the most popular with IMDb users, as determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide.
IMDb top 10 most popular Indian web series of 2023
1 Farzi
2 Guns & Gulaabs
3 The Night Manager
4 Kohrra
5 Asur 2
6 Rana Naidu
7 Dahaad
8 Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo
9 Scoop
10 Jubilee
*Of all the web series released in India between January 1 and November 6, 2023, that have an average IMDb user rating of 5 or higher, these 10 titles were consistently the most popular with IMDb users, as determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide.
Additional information about this year’s lists:
● Shah Rukh Khan returned to the big screen as a leading man after a four-year hiatus with Jawan and Pathaan, which are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on the Most Popular Indian Movies of 2023 (Theatrical) list. Khan also holds the top spot on the IMDb Most Popular Indian Stars of 2023 list. In 2023, he ranked No. 1 seven times on the weekly IMDb Popular Indian Celebrities feature, available exclusively on the IMDb app.
● Action is the most popular genre on the 10 Most Popular Indian Movies of 2023 (Theatrical) list, capturing six of the 10 spots, followed by two romances and two dramas.
● On the Most Popular Indian Web Series list, crime is the most popular genre, with nine series from this genre charting on this top 10 list.
● The Most Popular Indian Movies of 2023 (Streaming) list has representation from five subscription-based services, with five titles from Netflix, two from Zee5, and one each from Prime Video, JioCinema, and Disney+ Hotstar. The Most Popular Indian Web Series of 2023 list, on the other hand, has four titles from Netflix, three from Prime Video, two from Disney+ Hotstar, and one from JioCinema.
● All of the stars who charted on the recently announced IMDb Top 10 Most Popular Indian Stars of 2023 list also have at least one of the titles they appeared in ranking on IMDb’s year-end top titles lists. View the full list here.
● Bhuvan Arora and Angira Dhar, who were recipients of the IMDb “Breakout Star” STARmeter Award in 2023, appear in titles on the Most Popular Indian Web Series of 2023 list, with Farzi at No. 1 and Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo at No. 8.
To learn more about the IMDb most popular Indian movies of 2023 (theatrical), watch this video and view the full list here.
To learn more about the IMDb Most Popular Indian Movies of 2023 (streaming), watch this video and view the full list here.
To learn more about the IMDb Most Popular Indian Web Series of 2023, watch this video and view the full list here.
IMDb customers can add any title to their IMDb Watchlist at https://www.imdb.com/watchlist. To help fans keep track of what they want to watch, the IMDb Watchlist feature enables customers to easily create a personalized list of the movies and web series they want to watch. Fans can add this year’s top Indian titles, as well as millions of other popular movies and web series, to their personal Watchlist. They can also sort their Watchlist by IMDb rating, popularity, and more. IMDb also offers Preferred Services, a feature that helps customers identify which movies and web series may be available for viewing at no additional cost, based on the streaming services they subscribe to.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
