It’s not just about getting the work; it’s about defining the era. These six actors have successfully anchored the most enduring franchises, turning streaming series into cultural touchstones that outlast fleeting trends.
While the industry panics over a two-year drop in new commissions, the elite tier remains insulated. Insiders suggest that 'Mirzapur' stars like Pankaj Tripathi are effectively immune to the market's tightening grip, having built empires that platforms cannot afford to lose.
IMDb officially named Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey, Jitendra Kumar, Kapil Sharma, and Sunil Grover as 'The MVPs of Streaming.' Meanwhile, 'Mirzapur' has appeared in the top 10 list nine times since its launch.
The era of quantity is dead, but the era of the superstar franchise is thriving. If you aren't Pankaj Tripathi, you're fighting for scraps in a shrinking pool.
While the Indian streaming industry grapples with a significant slowdown in new commissions, a select group of celebrities have emerged as the undisputed kings and queens of the digital age. According to the new "10 Years of Streaming in India – An IMDb Report 2026," viewer interest in Indian shows has skyrocketed by approximately 17-fold over the past decade, driven largely by the magnetic pull of specific star-driven franchises. The report explicitly crowns Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey, Jitendra Kumar, Kapil Sharma, and Sunil Grover as "The MVPs of Streaming," acknowledging their role in anchoring recurring hits that have dominated the landscape from 2016 to 2026.
At the center of this celebrity dominance is Pankaj Tripathi, whose portrayal in "Mirzapur" has become the gold standard for longevity in the medium. The gritty crime drama, led by Tripathi and Ali Fazal, has refused to leave the spotlight, appearing in the top 10 lists nine times—making the cut every single year since its launch. This isn't just professional output; it is a masterclass in building a personal brand that resonates with the more than 250 million people who visit IMDb worldwide each month.
While other shows fade, the "Mirzapur" duo continues to command attention, proving that consistent cultural impact outweighs volume. Beyond the MVPs, the report highlights a different kind of career resilience. Kay Kay Menon, Naveen Kasturia, and Mona Singh were recognized as the most versatile performers, each appearing in at least five series in varied roles rather than being anchored to a single franchise.
This distinction matters in a market where new series and seasons commissions have dropped for two straight years, falling from 202 in 2023 to 145 in 2025. These actors have navigated the shift from chaotic expansion to calculated dominance by showcasing range, ensuring they remain relevant even as platforms become "pickier" about their investments. The report also spotlights multi-hyphenates like Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Samantha, Barun Sobti, and Karan Tacker as examples of stars successfully translating their established screen personas into the streaming format.
While the business side of the industry consolidates—with Prime Video and Amazon MX Player combining for 34 positions across 17 series—the focus remains firmly on the talent that draws them in. Crime and thriller titles, often led by these high-profile names, took 48 of the 110 positions in the rankings, cementing the link between star power and genre success. As Yaminie Patodia, head of IMDb India, noted, the report aims to empower professionals with authoritative data, but the underlying message for celebrities is clear: the market is shaking out the weak, but the strong are only getting stronger.
With industry leaders like Gaurav Gandhi of Prime Video, Gunjan Soni of YouTube, and Monika Shergill of Netflix weighing in on what comes next, the consensus is that the next decade will belong to those who can sustain engagement. For stars like Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal, the golden age of quantity may be over, but their personal golden age is just getting started.
