Youth Issue 2026: Entertainment

Janhvi Kapoor, 29, Actor: Bold and Beautiful

 Positioning herself ahead of her peers, Janhvi Kapoor stretched her acting muscles beyond commercial cinema by taking on a small but significant role as a Dalit student in the Os­car-longlisted Homebound. Kapoor has embraced pan India roles, balancing youthful indie films such as the forthcoming ‘Lag Ja Gale’ with potential Telugu block­busters such as ‘Peddi’ with Ram Charan. Her cool girl social media per­sona (she has 26.7 million followers on Instagram) offsets her trad woman alter ego, which sees her visiting Tirumala Devast­hanam every year (this time she climbed the 3,550 steps too), and her friend­ships spans networks, ranging from Reliance heirs Radhika and Anant Ambani to social media influencer Orry. Earlier this year, Kapoor took a risk by walking out of mentor Karan Johar’s talent agen­cy to map her own path. The actor is among the top names in the endorse­ment food chain with 19 brands, among them New Balance, Acer and Aldo, despite a majority of her movies misfiring at the box office. Off screen, Kapoor finds a social purpose in Off The Rocks, an initiative she recently launched in partnership with mental health organisation Amaha to help spread awareness on addiction.

Aneet Padda, 23, Actor: Intimately Yours

Emerging as the of Gen Z’s quest for emotional intimacy and ardent authentic­ity, Aneet Padda won hearts and fan loyalty with her role of aspiring songwriter Vaani Batra in 2025’s sleeper hit, Sai­yaara. She has since re­confirmed the youthful credentials with a series of high profile endorse­ments, among them Lakmé, Mia by Tanishq and Reliance Trends. Padda is increasingly the first choice for film­makers looking to cast a young woman who connects with urban youth, and is the face of the much-awaited ex­pansion of the Maddock horror universe with ‘Shakti Shalini’ as well as a series of energetic fresh advertisements. Through the early days of success, Padda focuses on keeping her head down and continuing to work her craft. “The love that’s come my way after the film [Saiyaara] has been incredibly spe­cial, but I still don’t see it in terms of stardom,” she says. “For me, it all be­gins and ends with that feeling of connection, with the work and with the audience. I don’t feel the need to label where I stand right now; I’m just grateful to be in a space where I can keep learning, growing, and experiencing everything as it comes.”

Abhay Verma, 27, Actor: Gentler Hero

Powering the horror comedy Munjya to a surprise box office hit in 2024, Abhay Verma is fast turning into the one to watch this year. Emerging from a vast field of outsiders, the young actor has become a leading man of choice for dramatic roles. He is looking forward to a stacked line-up of films, including ‘King’ starring Shah Rukh Khan, ‘JC’ with Shanaya Kapoor, ‘Laikey Laikaa’ with Rasha Thadani, ‘Dilkashi’ directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery and ‘Operation Safed Sagar’, a show on Netflix. Learning on the job and surprising observers with his ability to improve his craft and his public persona, Verma embodies a new kind of hero—kinder, gentler, mellower.

Garv Taneja Aka Chaar Diwaari, 23, Singer and Producer: The Disruptor

 Blending experimental Hindi music with electronic, and rock, Garv Taneja—better known as Chaar Diwaari—is disrupting the mainstream Indian music scene with hits like ‘Jhaag’, ‘Garam’, and ‘Mera Saman Kaha Hai?’ Taneja’s body of work is sprinkled with collaborations with the likes of music superstars such as Sonu Nigam, Sanjith Hegde and Raftaar. His unique music videos have a haunting quality that aligns with his voice, and Taneja is always surprising his young audience with his words, sound and vision.

Daiaphi Lamare Aka Reble, 24, Rapper and Songwriter: Subversive Chic

One of Indian hip-hop’s most exciting voices, Daiaphi Lamare—better known as Reble—acquired main­stream fame singing for Lokah Chapter One: Chandra, Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The musician from Meghalaya has brought the region to the national stage with her unique mix of underground pizzazz and unconven­tional chicness. The key to Reble’s popularity may well lie in her ability to articulate the angst of young people with lyrics such as these from Dhurandhar’s ‘Run Down the City’: “You ain’t never seen a bad girl on the street/Living it up, we in a run-down city/You ain’t never met a bad girl like me/Living it up, head on a gun, so pretty/Could you fall in love with a girl like me?” Among the growing number of voices from Northeast India, Reble uses her platform to highlight voices from a region “seldom represent­ed in mainstream media”. Along with films, she has also performed at the Rolling Loud festival and Spotify’s Rap91 showcase, and signed a deal with the American label Atlan­tic Records.

Krithi Shetty, 22, Actor: Soutern Sweetheart

One of the most sought-after young talents in Indian cinema, especially in Telugu and Tamil films, Krithi Shetty captivated audiences with her very first film at 18, the 2021 Telugu blockbuster Uppena. Showcasing her range with Bangarraju and Manamey, she appeared most recently opposite Pradeep Ranaganathan in Love Insurance Kompany. When she is not working on films, Shetty is one of the most recognised names across brands such as Mastercard, KFC, Visit Abu Dhabi and Glow and Lovely. Her social media profile is a veritable lookbook, with nine million followers treating her feed as their go-to fashion destination.“My journey so far has been filled with unbelievably beautiful moments yet also very humbling. I’ve realised that the only thing I can do is work on my skills diligently off-screen, so right now, I’m just someone who is focusing on learning, evolving, and trying to make better choices with every project and I truly believe that the magic of hard work and sincerity comes back. I’m excited about what’s ahead and the kind of roles that will challenge me as an actor,” says Shetty, who will soon make her much-anticipated Bollywood debut opposite Tiger Shroff in a high-octane action film.

Karan Aujla, 27, Singer: Prince of P-Pop

Parlaying the pain of losing his parents before turning a teenager into a life­time of songwriting, Karan Aujla has made a name for himself, straddling the worlds of P-Pop, finessed in Canada, and Bollywood music like 2024’s chartbusing ‘Tauba Tauba’. Aujla’s stunning music videos mix his Punjabi village roots with glimpses of a flashy immigrant life in Canada, urging his audience to dream big. The hitmaker routinely figures in the UK Asian charts published by the Official Charts Com­pany, as well as the Global YouTube music charts. Last year, Aujla performed in an episode of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, hitting one of the biggest milestones of global stardom.

Ahaan Panday, 28, Actor: Romantic Pin-Up

The success of Saiyaara, a romance from Yash Raj Films, was Ahaan Panday’s answer to critics about his nepo-baby status, establishing him as the ideal soft boy in a uni­verse teeming with loud men sporting beards and biceps. Panday has displayed patience and resilience while under­going an intensive seven year training programme under YRF boss Aditya Chopra’s tu­telage before his launch as a Gen Z hero and handled the aftermath of the box office run of over `570 crore with quiet humility, in contrast to his brash, exhibitionist pre-stardom image. The actor is building his body of work with Ali Abbas Zafar’s forthcoming action thriller to be fol­lowed by a reunion with his Saiyaara co-star and director. Panday has also landed a series of five prized endorsements from Pepsi to Harley- Davidson and was also appointed Davidoff Parfums’ first Indian ambassador.

Rukmini Vasanth, 29, Actor: The Shapeshifter

Hers must be the first name to come to mind when the three magic words are spoken: talent, youth and beauty. Rukmini Vasanth moves seamlessly from one blockbuster to another, one industry to another, with her blend of grace and craft. A graduate of London’s Royal Acade­my of Dramatic Arts, and trained in classical dance, she brings a rare depth and discipline to her perfor­mances, allowing her to effortlessly slip between mainstream spectacle and rooted, character-driven cinema. A director’s actor, she fearlessly immerses herself into every role, whether it is as the princess Kanakvathi in Kantara: Chapter 1 or as Melissa in the forthcoming ‘Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown Ups’. Her off-screen persona— grounded, thoughtful and refreshingly private—mir­rors her on-screen choices, making the late Colonel Vasanth Venugopal’s daughter one of the most intriguing talents of her generation. “My career has been an incredible com­bination of good fortune and adamantly and avidly seeking out what it is that I’d like to be associated with. I hope I have the passion to seek what I’d like to be associated with and a sprinkle of fortui­tousness to help make that happen,” she says. “It’s why I doggedly sought to go to drama school and then on my return to India, despite Covid enveloping the world, reached out to filmmakers I wanted to work with.”

Sara Arjun, 20, Actor: Quiet Grit

In a sea of men loudly flexing their muscles, Sara Arjun stood her ground delivering a quiet performance as the betrayed wife in Dhurand­har and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, cementing the Isha Home School alum­na’s status in an industry she has known since she was a child actor. Taking her time after the chest thumping success of her debut film as an adult ac­tor before choosing from a plethora of offers, among them a biopic of legendary actor Madhubala directed by Jasmeet K Reen (of the 2022 film, Darlings). Arjun also serves as ambassador for McDonald’s India North and East, a brand she first endorsed as a child actor. She is also star producer and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar ’s pick for the clutter-breaking Google India micro-drama ‘ Per­fect Match ’, with Ishaan Khatter as co-star.

Arjn, 25, Rapper and Producer: Pitch Perfect

Once a niche movement, hip-hop in India has evolved into a cultural force. Part of the credit for this mainstream attention may go to the movies but it is independ­ent artists, talented and re­bellious, who have pushed the form forward in varied regional languages. Case in point: Malayalam hip-hop whose appeal transcends language thanks to stars such as Hanumankind and Dabzee. Now, younger names are making their mark, such as Arjun Sunil aka ARJN who has steadily building a discography of hits that include bangers like ‘Nera’, ‘Chillara’ and the super popular ‘Kalyani’ which he performed with other up and coming names in the music scene, KDS and Vishnu V aka Fifty4. Not just making music, ARJN also works behind the scenes having founded Money Verse Re­cords (MVR), an independ­ent label with KDS.

Raj Shamani, 28, Producer: The Conversationalist

One of India’s premiere content creators, with 7.9 million Instagram followers and 12 million Youtube subscribers, Raj Shamani’s interview with renegade entrepreneur Vijay Mallya went viral in 2025, with 20 million views in a week. Shamani has been my­thologising his own story, setting himself up as the outsider from Indore who started by selling soaps for his father’s company to starting his ‘Figuring Out’ podcast in 2021. He has snagged interviews of the great and the good, from French President Emmaneul Macron to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, establishing himself as a youth icon with his philosophy of becoming a world beater with hard work and resilience. Shamani also believes in paying it forward, as an angel investor in a series of startups such as Wint Wealth, Deciml, Unikon. ai and Growthschool among others.