Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh tops UK’s 2024 South Asian celebrity list

The 40-year-old Punjabi star dethroned last year’s topper, Shah Rukh Khan, and ranked ahead of international talent from the world of cinema, television, music, arts and literature celebrated in the 2024 edition of the list published by UK weekly ‘Eastern Eye’ on Friday.

Dosanjh has been recognised not only for delivering hit songs, including top tracks for films, but also for making his mark with major international collaborations during the course of the year.

“The singing superstar delivered the most successful world tour undertaken by any South Asian celebrity in history with his blockbuster ‘Dil-Luminati’ show,” said ‘Eastern Eye’ Entertainment Editor Asjad Nazir, who compiles the list annually.

“His history-making performance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ broke new ground for Indian music. In between all the musical magic, the multi-talented star showed off his impressive acting ability in films and proudly promoted his Punjabi culture. Everybody was talking about him in what turned out to be a dream year,” he said.

Indian heritage pop superstar Charli XCX came in second, narrowly missing out on the top spot, for an incredible year that included sold out live performances, seven Grammy nominations and her now iconic ‘Brat’ album, which spawned a huge global movement.

While third-placed Allu Arjun smashed box-office records with the year’s most successful Indian film ‘Pushpa: The Rule’ and significantly changed the cinema landscape in his country, fourth-placed Dev Patel confirmed his place as a Hollywood power player by remarkably writing, directing, producing and starring in the hit film ‘Monkey Man’.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas came in fifth for balancing high-profile projects that ranged from movies to starting work on season two of mega-budget series ‘Citadel’; actor Vijay, who starred in the year’s most successful Tamil movie and started a political party, is ranked sixth; and singer Arijit Singh seventh.

Australian actress Geraldine Viswanathan, Pakistani actress Hania Aamir and British actress Simone Ashley complete the top 10 for the year. The oldest star in the list is once again 82-year-old Amitabh Bachchan and the youngest, aged 17, is actress Nitanshi Goel for her impressive performance in India’s official Oscar entry ‘Laapataa Ladies’.

“Being the youngest on this prestigious list is truly humbling. The year 2024 has been a transformative year for me, especially with the love and appreciation my character Phool and ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has received. Phool’s story of resilience and self-discovery touched my heart, and it’s amazing to see how it resonated with audiences across the globe. I’m incredibly grateful for the love and hope to continue inspiring young dreamers like me,” said Goel.

The Top 50 list celebrates South Asian stars who shone the brightest in 2024, based on their impactful work, breaking boundaries and being generally inspiring over the course of the year. It is compiled as a result of public inputs, with readers and social media users nominating their favourites.

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