Top 30 under 30 to watch in 2025

THE next generation of stars continues to shine across creative fields, from social media to singing and acting.

While some are already established, others are breaking through with the potential to become future game-changers. Collectively, they make this an exciting time for popular culture, offering great hope for the future.

Here’s Eastern Eye’s annual list of 30 under 30 talents to watch out for in 2025.

 Maitreyi Ramakrishnan: Things have been relatively quiet for the Canadian actress since her hit series Never Have I Ever ended.The 23-year-old will get back on track this year with her Hollywood films Slanted and Freakier Friday.With over six million Instagram followers, she has a large cross-cultural fanbase and will surely be signing more major projects this year.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Sumbul Touqeer: With two title roles in high-profile drama serials already under her belt, the 21-year-old has arguably become the crown princess of Indian television. The in-demand star will follow up small-screen successes Imlie and Kavya – Ek Jazbaa, Ek Junoon with more top TV projects this year. Don’t be surprised if the relatable star makes the inevitable move to films.

Sumbul Touqeer

 Geraldine Viswanathan: The talented Australian actress continues to be unstoppable in Hollywood. This year, the versatile 29-year-old will star opposite Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in the film You’re Cordially Invited. She will also join the Marvel universe with a starring role in the superhero film Thunderbolts, which will inevitably lead to more major projects.

Geraldine Viswanathan:

Vedang Raina: The 24-year-old actor has made a solid start to his Bollywood career with impactful supporting performances in The Archies and Jigra. His good looks, acting talent, and screen presence indicate that he has what it takes to fill the young leading man void in Hindi cinema. The newcomer has positioned himself as a strong contender to become a major film star.

Vedang Raina

 Avantika Vandanapu: The 20-year-old will continue balancing projects across different languages and platforms, with Hollywood remaining her main focus. This year, she plays a key role in the unique action thriller Ballerina Overdrive. The American actress is also set to star in the lead role of the TV show A Crown of Wishes, which she is also executive producing, along with developing other projects.

Avantika Vandanapu

 Jason Patel: The British actor delivered a brilliant breakout performance in the 2024 film Unicorns. By taking on the challenging role of a character living a double life as a glamorous drag queen, he showcased his impressive range as an actor and demonstrated real star quality. The 28-year-old has laid a solid foundation to build on.

Jason Patel

Pranali Rathod: The young actress has followed up her star-making turn in the iconic drama Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai by taking on the title role in the current serial Durga – Atoot Prem Kahani. With a massive cross-generational fanbase behind her, the 27-year-old seems poised to reach even greater heights and become a mainstay in Indian popular culture.

Pranali Rathod:

 Saloni: There may not be another young British artist doing the kind of varied work that this singer-songwriter is. By delivering songs in multiple languages and genres, she is reaching a wide audience while creating wholly unique collaborations. What makes the versatile talent’s achievements even more remarkable is that she is doing it all as an independent artist.

Saloni

 Rish Shah: The young British actor has continued to make significant strides in Hollywood with diverse film and television projects, including the forthcoming comedy-drama series Overcompensating. The 27-year-old from London is proving that he has what it takes to achieve great heights and is part of an exciting new wave of British talent making a mark internationally.

Rish Shah

Nitanshi Goel: The talented teenager has achieved more at the age of 17 than most actors do in a lifetime. Having started as a child star in hit TV drama serials and movies, she made a winning lead debut in Laapataa Ladies last year. That transformative performance in India’s official Oscar selection has marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her remarkable journey.

Nitanshi Goel

Naslen K Gafoor: The young Malayalam actor has impressed audiences since his movie debut in 2019. After a series of strong performances, he delivered a starmaking turn in the 2024 smash-hit romantic comedy Premalu. The superhit film has firmly established the 24-yearold as star material, and he now has multiple movies on the way.

Naslen K Gafoor

 Rashmika Mandanna: With major successes in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil cinema, the 28-year-old is one of the very few pan-Indian film stars today. Having followed up the superhit movie Animal with Pushpa 2: The Rule, she remains one of Indian cinema’s most in-demand leading ladies, ensuring that many more high-profile projects are on the way.

Rashmika Mandanna

 Ishana Night Shyamalan: After learning from her renowned father, M Night Shyamalan, the filmmaker made an accomplished feature debut as a writer and director with the supernatural drama The Watchers. With this Hollywood film, the 25-year-old demonstrated that she has what it takes to make a significant impact in cinema. At a time when there are still too few female filmmakers, she is set to inspire a new generation.

Ishana Night Shyamalan

Ishaan Khatter: The Indian actor has taken a unique approach by blending Bollywood films with international projects, including high-profile series like A Suitable Boy and The Perfect Couple. This fearless strategy has allowed him to explore new creative spaces, opening multiple pathways for the 29-year-old. It’s a move that promises to lead to even more interesting work.

Ishaan Khatter

Hania Aamir: At just 27 years old, the Pakistani actress has delivered winning performances across multiple platforms since her teenage years. This includes starring in Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum, one of last year’s most-watched global TV serials.

Hania Aamir

Ambika Mod: After quietly making her mark with short films and low-key TV projects, the British actress shot to international fame in 2024 with the superhit Netflix drama One Day. Since then, she has garnered significant attention, including being featured on the Time100 Next list as someone to watch. Her next appearance will be in the Disney Plus series Playdate.

Ambika Mod

Anchal Sahu: A major reason why the hit drama serial Parineetii is nearing 1,000 episodes is the presence of this talented teenager. Having started as a child star, the 19-year-old has showcased her immense acting abilities on this ratings winner. There’s little doubt she is on her way to even greater success, including a likely move into films.

Anchal Sahu

 Chahat Mahmood: The 21-year-old singing sensation from Pakistan is one of the youngest leaders of a qawwali group in the world. He has taken the live music scene by storm, performing over 200 shows in the UK within 15 months. This marks the beginning of a journey that positions him to follow in the footsteps of legends like his mentor, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. 

Chahat Mahmood

Janisht Joshi: The immensely talented young artist from Mumbai has been making a remarkable impact with his soulful songs, heartfelt lyrics, impressive musicianship, and captivating videos. The 23-year-old’s exceptional ability to blend genres allows him to connect with a wide range of listeners. He has built a solid foundation for a promising future that will likely include international success.

Janisht Joshi

 Ruchika Lohiya: The talented young poet and storyteller is transforming the online landscape with her literary-based video reels, showcasing her skills as both a writer and performer. The 24-year-old tackles diverse subjects through her beautiful poems and impactful stories, which have resonated with cross-generational audiences globally. This content creator is bringing intelligence and depth to social media scrolling.

Ruchika Lohiya

Babil Khan: Solid performances in the films Qala and Friday Night Plan, along with the web series The Railway Men, have demonstrated that the 26-year-old actor has immense potential. The son of the late actor Irrfan Khan, Babil aims to follow in his father’s illustrious footsteps. His natural talent, strong work ethic, and humble approach will undoubtedly serve him well.

Babil Khan

Kashika Kapoor: The young Indian talent has transitioned from being a social media sensation, with over 18 million Instagram followers, to making her movie debut with the meaningful film Aayushmati Geeta Matric Pass. The ambitious actress has clearly demonstrated that she has what it takes to build a successful career in cinema and already has multiple movies lined up.

Kashika Kapoor

 Sharvari: The young actress enjoyed success in 2024 with the sleeper superhit Munjya. The 27-year-old is set to step up a gear this year as she stars alongside Alia Bhatt in the mega-budget film Alpha, part of the hugely successful spy universe. With the backing of the powerful Yash Raj Films banner, there’s little to hold her back.

Sharvari

Arpan Kumar Chandel: The Indian rapper, known by his stage name King, has made a significant impact with his unique brand of hip-hop. Since his breakthrough on the reality show MTV Hustle in 2019, he has delivered albums, singles, explosive collaborations, and massive live performances. His fearless approach has kept him focused on carving out his own distinct space in the music industry.

Arpan Kumar Chandel

Abhay Verma: After gaining attention with a supporting role in the web series Family Man and a lead in the 2023 independent film Safed, the 27-year-old achieved his first major success with the Bollywood horror-comedy Munjya (2024). This demonstrated his ability to headline a commercial project and opened up multiple pathways for his career.

Abhay Verma

Sreeleela: There’s a reason the 23-yearold was cast opposite superstar Mahesh Babu in 2024. The American-born actress, with a rapidly growing fanbase, has made a significant mark in Telugu cinema, even being featured in a musical number in the recent blockbuster superhit Pushpa: The Rule. With more films lined up, she is set to make the inevitable leap toward Pan-Indian success.

Krithi Shetty: The 21-year-old has been unstoppable since her lead debut in 2021 with the National Award-winning Telugu film Uppena. The versatile actress has worked across multiple languages, including starring in ARM, one of 2024’s highest-grossing Malayalam films. With several upcoming projects, she is poised to further establish herself, including in Tamil cinema.

Krithi Shetty

 Ayesha Singh: The naturally gifted 28-year-old showcased her versatility with a standout performance in the hit drama serial Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin. After overcoming illness and patiently waiting for the right project, she is set to dominate television this year with her exciting new show Mannat: Har Khushi Paane Ki.

Ayesha Singh

Charithra Chandran: The Scotlandborn actress has been on an unstoppable roll in recent years, with high-profile projects across film, TV, and theatre. The 28-year-old is set to step up a gear this year with even more exciting projects, including headlining director Gurinder Chadha’s movie Christmas Karma and multiple TV projects such as Song of the Sun God, which she is also co-producing.

Charithra Chandran

 Armaan Malik: The popular singer is known for the wide variety of interesting work he has delivered. By producing top tracks across multiple languages and styles, he has expanded creative horizons in commercial Indian music.The fanfriendly 28-year-old has also established himself as a formidable live performer.

Armaan Malik