What do Deepika Padukone, Arijit Singh and Gautam Gulati have in common? They pretty much were the most talked about people who cemented their own places in the top 51 list of most popular celebrities of 2014.
1) Salman Khan
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The eternal 'Bhai' of Bollywood started with the success of 'Jai Ho', and later 'Kick', this year. But his widespread popularity only became bigger by just being the host of Bigg Boss season 8. SRK maybe the 'baadshah' of Bollywood, but when it comes to popularity, Salman is surely the king.
2) Amitabh Bachchan
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Amitabh Bachchan is the only Indian celebrity to have a massive following of 12.2m fans, making him the post popular Indian celebrity on twitter. Truth be told, Amitabh's popularity has never really diminished from his heydays, something that can be proved by the numerous endorsements he does per year. His authority as the host of the famous 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' has only strengthened his position.
3) Shah Rukh Khan
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SRK's Kolkata Knight Riders won their second IPL title, and its benefit was seen in the owner's popularity. Not to forget his Diwali release 'Happy New Year', which pretty much broke all the weekend box office records, and the staggering 22 endorsements that SRK did this year give him the spot at number 3.
4) Aamir Khan
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Aamir Khan gave two blockbusters 'Dhoom 3' (which was last year in November) and 'PK', out of which the former is the highest money making film of Bollywood. Unlike other khans, Aamir doesn't really jump on all the endorsement offers he gets, but that has never really diminished his popularity.
5) Deepika Padukone
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Last year clearly belonged to pretty Padukone, and this year was no different. She continued her Bollywood success with two releases 'Finding Fanny' and 'Kochadaiiyaan', which found success down South. She has also, interestingly, climbed the endorsement charts, and is now endorsing brands at par with the endorsement queen Kareena Kapoor Khan.
6) Rajinikanth
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Nothing that Rajinikanth does will ever be a small thing, whether it as mundane as joining Twitter, which BTW was a huge deal in 2014. Moreover, two big releases in his kitty, 'Kochadaiiyaan' and 'Lingaa', gave him a spot at no. 6.
7) Priyanka Chopra
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Although 'Krrish 3' was last November, it was still PCee's only major hit after 'Barfi.' She later gave 'Mary Kom' which also did fairly okay at the box office. The decision to cast Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom, however, became a national debate. Her third release 'Gunday' also did average business. She also made herself seen in Hollywood with her two singles featuring Will.i.am and Pitbull.
8) Hrithik Roshan
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Hrithik Roshan had a rocky year with his brain surgery initially, and his tumultuous relationship with Sussanne Khan that resulted in their 13-year old marriage ending in divorce. What was good, however, was his hit film 'Krrish 3' which released in November last year and 'Bang Bang', this year.
9) Akshay Kumar
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Akshay Kumar had a good year at the movies with releases such as 'Boss', 'Holiday' and 'Entertainment.' And although 'Boss' didn't do really well at the box office, the latter did quite well. He also returned to television with his reality show Dare 2 Dance which was also well received.
10) Ranbir Kapoor
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Despite 'Besharam' being Ranbir Kapoor's last film that released last year in October and also sank without a trace, his popularity remains rather unaffected. All thanks to his unshakeable fan-base and numerous brand endorsements that he is a part of.
11) AR Rahman
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Music maestro started this year with 'Patakha Guddi' from 'Highway' which climbed the music charts created quite a furor with the listeners and the critics. Then came the album of 'Kochadaiiyaan', the soundtrack of which was released in three languages. He also collaborated with Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am to recreate his erstwhile famous track 'Urvashi Urvashi.'
12) Sonakshi Sinha
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Sonakshi Sinha, too, had a better year at the box office with four major releases. While 'Bullett Raja' and 'Action Jackson' bombed at the box office, 'R... Rajkumar' did good business and 'Holiday' was a hit, too. According to Forbes India, Sonaskhi Sinha also did 12 endorsements in 2014.
13) Yo Yo Honey Singh
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From being an independent music composer/singer to composing music and singing in Bollywood, Honey Singh has had a glorious journey. He gets over 1 million Youtube hits per song, and rightly so because this Punjabi rapper has understood the pulse of the audience. He started this year with the peppy number 'Aaj Blue Hai Pani Pani' from 'Yaariyan' and then gave hits like 'Desi Kalakaar' and 'Love Dose.' He is also supposed to be the highest paid musician of Bollywood charging up to 1 crore per song.
14) Karan Johar
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He produced three successful films this year 'Hasee Toh Phasee', '2 States' and 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya.' Besides, he also ruled television by being the judge of two extremely popular reality shows 'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa' and 'India's Got Talent.' He also hosted the latest season of celebrity talk show 'Koffee with Karan' which did pretty well.
15) Shahid Kapoor
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The tables seem to have turned for Shahid Kapoor, and how! After a string of bad performances, the actor was back with Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Haider' this year. Some of the critics have claimed this film to be Shahid's best performance till date.
16) Sonam Kapoor
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She had two releases this year-'Bewakoofiyan' and 'Khoobsurat' out which the former was a box-office flop and the latter was a commercial hit. However, her revenues continue to surge owing to her eight brand endorsements.
17) Kapil Sharma
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Kapil Sharma is a household name, someone who is synonymous to India's generic comedy. His popular show on Colors 'Comedy Nights With Kapil' continues to be a rage across people from every continent. Such is his popularity that he'll now be seen on the big screen with Abbas Mustan's film 'Kis Kisko Pyar Karu' which will hit the theatres in 2015.
18) Sunny Leone
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Her two releases in 2014 met with mixed reviews. 'Jackpot' was a flop and 'Ragini MMS 2' was a hit, and she has also bagged some brand endorsement deals as well. She had a strong hold on the Television where she hosted two shows on MTV India-'Haunted Nights With Sunny Leone' and 'Splitsvilla Season 7.' She also has a movie production house named Sunlust Pictures.
19) Ranveer Singh
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Ever since he entered the industry with 'Band Baaja Baarat, Ranveer Singh has only flourished as an actor. The end of 2013 was a great time for him as his film 'Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela' was appreciated by both audience and critics alike. He gave another hit in 2014-'Gunday.' He also did a blink-and-miss cameo in Homi Adajania's 'Finding Fanny' which was also talked about.
20) Alia Bhatt
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Alia Bhatt, though is fairly new in the industry, seems to be quite a promising actress. By giving 3 biggest hits this year-'Highway', '2 States' and 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya' out of which the first one was critically acclaimed, Alia has secured the 20th position.
21) John Abraham
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He hasn't had a release in quite some time but his steady endorsement deals and his production house, which is currently busy in filming 'Rocky Handsome', were enough to salvage his popularity ranking. John Abraham also co-owns ISL football team NorthEast United FC.
22) Katrina Kaif
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She had a miniscule role in the tremendously successful 'Dhoom 3' last year and a full-fledged role in semi hit 'Bang Bang' this year opposite Hrithik Roshan. This is the reason why Katrina Kaif, who was quite popular last year, has slipped down on the ranking.
23) Saif Ali Khan
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It wasn't a year that Saif Ali Khan would want to remember with two of his films-'Humshakals' and 'Bullet Raja' failing terribly at the BO. Moreover, critics have called the former to be one of the most pathetic films ever made in Bollywood. His in-house production Illuminati Films produced 'Lekar Hum Deewana Dil' along with Eros Entertainment which also gave nothing to write home about. His endorsement deals, on the other hand, are ever-increasing.
24) Anushka Sharma
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Anushka Sharma is going strong with her latest blockbuster release 'PK', all the endorsement deals that she has in her kitty and her much-talked about affair with cricket heartthrob Virat Kohli. 2015 will also see her mega release alongside Ranbir Kapoor in Anurag Kashyap's 'Bombay Velvet' and her debut home produced film, along with Phantom Films, titled 'NH10.'
25) Farhan Akhtar
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Farhan Akhtar had an average year in terms of acting with just one semi-hit film 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects' alongside Vidya Balan. His campaign MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination), however, remained thoroughly popular in 2014.
26) Anurag Kashyap
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His Phantom Films produced two successful films this year-'Hassee Toh Phasee' and 'Queen.' He also did two cameos in 'Bhootnaath Returns' and 'Happy New Year.' He was also in the news for his much talked about film 'Bombay Velvet' which is due to release in 2015.
27) Parineeti Chopra
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Another promising actress after Alia Bhatt is Parineeti Chopra. She had three big releases in 2014 out of which 'Daawat-e-Ishq' and 'Kill Dill' were duds and 'Hasee Toh Phasee' was a hit. She's also going strong on endorsements.
28) Ajay Devgn
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'Singham Returns' for Ajay Devgn was indeed very lucky as he co-produced the film along with Rohit Shetty. The film did a good business of Rs 140 crore. He is also the co-owner of the Delhi franchise of CTL (Champions Tennis League).
29) Arjun Kapoor
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Arjun Kapoor had an impressive year at the box office with hits like '2 States', 'Gunday' and 'Finding Fanny.' Apart from films, his big endorsement deals also gave him enough visibility this year.
30) Kareena Kapoor Khan
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She had a mixed year with her first release 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein' flopped while her second release 'Singham Returns' did average business. However, as per Forbes, Kareena Kapoor Khan still remains in the news due to her 18 endorsement deals, which is the highest for any actress.
31) Shraddha Kapoor
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After the tremendous success of 'Aashiqui 2', Shraddha Kapoor continued the spell this year with hits like 'Ek Villain' and 'Haider'. She also made an appearance for a dance number in the recently released 'Ungli.'
32) Kangana Ranaut
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After Deepika Padukone, this year pretty much belonged to Kangana Ranaut with her biggest and critically acclaimed 'Queen' which gave her widespread recognition, so much so that her other flop fims 'Revolver Rani' and 'Rajjo' didn't have any effect on her popularity. Her candidness in interviews also garnered her ardent followers.
33) Varun Dhawan
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Varun had two films released this year, both of which-'Main Tera Hero' and 'Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya' did very well at the box office. The young actor is also making news because of his new rugged look in his upcoming film 'Badlapur', whose trailer BTW has piqued interest of everyone.
34) Arijit Singh
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Arijit Singh is a name that needs no introductions. After giving the love anthem of the year 'Tum Hi Ho', Arjit garnered plethora of awards this year and rightly so. In fact, he also worked with the maestro AR Rahman in his maiden track for 'Kochadaiiyan'.
35) Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
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You know Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is totally worth it when she remains popular despite the fact that she hasn't had a single release in four years. Her revenues come solely from her endorsement deals, and she's soon going to make a comeback with Sanjay Gupta's 'Jazbaa' alongside Irrfan Khan. She was also adjudged the most popular Miss World ever in the last decade, this year.
36) Imtiaz Ali
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Imtiaz Ali is that good looking director who makes romantic movies that are totally worth watching. A rarity in every way, he is someone who absolutely cannot be ignored. This year, he directed Ali Bhatt and Randeep Hooda starrer 'Highway' which, without a doubt, was one of the best films of 2014. The film earned him massive critical acclaim.
37) Fawad Khan
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He is Bollywood's current obsession and is ridiculously good looking. His debut film 'Khoobsurat' was a success where his performance was lauded by everyone alike. In fact, ever since Pakistani channel 'Zindagi' made its entrance in Indian Television, Fawad Khan, thanks to his two serials 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai' and 'Humsufar', has become a common household name.
38) Abhishek Bachchan
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Abhishek was a part of 'Dhoom 3' that released in December last year that became the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time. He was also a part of the most successful film this year-Farah Khan's 'Happy New Year'. He also co-owns the Chennai franchise of ISL Chennaiyin FC.
39) Homi Adajania
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Homi Adajania is an unusual storyteller but someone who knows his craft rather well. His only film that was released this year 'Finding Fanny' met with unusual success for the quirky film that was. He is also in the news because he is said to be directing the Indian version of the popular Hollywood film 'Fault In Our Stars' with Deepika Padokone and Varun Dhawan.
40) Irrfan Khan
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He doesn't look like a conventional Bollywood actor, neither can he dance nor does he sing, but that doesn't make Irrfan Khan any less of an actor. In fact, he is one of the most prolific actors we have as of today in Bollywood. He made guest appearance in two abysmal films of 2014 'Gunday' and 'Xpose', and had a small but important role in 'Haider.' He is also supposed to be a part of the upcoming 2015 film 'Jurassic World.'
41) Bipasha Basu
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Along with her fitness DVDs which are a huge rage amongst the youth, Bipasha gave two releases this year. It's a different story that both her films 'Humshakals' and 'Creature 3D' were thrashed by the critics. She is also starring in another horror film 'Alone' alongside TV actor Karan Singh Grover whose trailer has gone viral.
42) Nawazuddin Siddiqui
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Best known for his stellar performance in Anurag Kashyap's 'Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2', Nawazuddin entered the commercial films zone by playing the antagonist in 'Kick' this year. His role was acknowledged and his performance praised. He has three upcoming films in the pipeline including 'Badlapur', 'Farzi' and 'Raees.'
43) Randeep Hooda
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Randeep Hooda got due recognition for two of his films that were released this year- 'Highway' and 'Kick.' His other two films 'Rang Rasiya' and 'Ungli' didn't perform well, but his performance was again noted. His upcoming films include 'Shooter', 'Fanne Khan', 'Main Aur Charles' and Pooja Bhatt's 'Bad.'
44) Kalki Koechlin
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She is one of the few actresses to have maintained her star status while performing in both mainstream and Indie films. Her role of a disabled girl in 'Margarita with a Straw' which was released in Toronto Film Festival was lauded. The film will release next year in India. She is a well-known feminist and is also quite vocal about women's rights on various social media platforms.
45) Vishal Bhardwaj
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His 'Haider' was the most talked about film of 2014 which he wrote the screenplay, directed, produced and also composed the music for. The film is supposed to be Vishal's best film ever.
46) Jacqueline Fernandez
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Her only film that released this year 'Kick' was a blockbuster. Her upcoming films include-Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal starrer 'Roy' and Chandran Rutnam's crime-thriller 'According To Mathew'-both of which are highly anticipated.
47) Tabu
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'Haider' was a film that belonged to Shahid Kapoor as equally as it belonged to this beautiful actress. Tabu's scandalous role of Ghazala, which was inspired from the character of Gertude from Hamlet, was much appreciated. She is all set to feature in the upcoming Meghna Gulzar's film 'Talwaar.'
48) Gautam Gulati
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Ever since he entered the Bigg Boss house this season, Gautam Gualti has pretty much made news week after week. Whether it's his alleged in-house kiss with Diandra Soares or his fights with fellow contestants Karishma Tanna or Upen Patel, truth is he has always entertained people. So much so that he was named as one of the top 5 non-fictional characters of 2014 by Ormax Media along with Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Kapil Sharma.
49) Gauahar Khan
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She managed to stay in the news after winning the coveted title of Bigg Boss last season by being the anchor of India's Raw Star this year. The slap gate incident which happened recently was actually during the shooting of the finale episode of this show. In fact the entire nation stood by her while condemning the act.
50) Rani Mukerji
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'Mardaani' was her comeback film, and what a film it was. She was praised for pulling off the character of Shivani Shivaji Roy, a senior inspector to the T. She has also become the first lady of Yashraj Films by marrying director Aditya Chopra in Italy this year.
51) Remo D'souza
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He has been judging dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhjla Jaa' for two consecutive seasons, and this year was no different. He also choreographed songs for many films this year including 'Dedh Ishqiya', 'Jai Ho', '2 States' and 'Entertainment.' His sequel to India's first 3D dance movie ABCD, named ABCD 2 will release sometime in 2015.