The unofficial title of ‘National Crush’ has become a familiar part of Indian pop culture, with actresses gaining the tag through a combination of screen presence, social media popularity and strong audience connect. Over the years, several actresses from Bollywood and South Indian cinema have found themselves at the centre of this fan-driven phenomenon.
Tanya Mishra is among the latest names to attract attention online. With her growing digital following and appearances across different entertainment platforms, she has become a popular name among social media users. Here is a look at some of the actresses who have previously earned widespread recognition as India’s ‘National Crush’.
Tanya Mishra
Born on January 31, 1999, in Gaya, Bihar, Tanya Mishra, 27, has developed a significant following on social media, with more than 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Her popularity has been driven largely by her fashion posts, glamorous photographs and screen appearances.
Mishra has also worked across films, web series and seven music videos. She was the fourth runner-up at IAWA Miss India 2019 and has received the Lokmat Award 2023 and Femina Achievers Award 2024 for her contributions to the entertainment industry.
Triptii Dimri
Triptii Dimri, born on February 23, 1994, rose to national prominence after portraying Zoya in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal. Released on December 1, 2023, the action drama became a commercial blockbuster, earning ₹917 crore against a reported budget of ₹100 crore.
Although her appearance alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Rashmika Mandanna was relatively brief, the role had a major impact on her popularity. Her Instagram following reportedly increased from 600,000 to 2.4 million within a week of the film’s release.
Animal began streaming on Netflix on January 26, 2024. Before the film, Dimri had already received critical recognition for performances in Bulbbul (2020) and Qala (2022).
Rashmika Mandanna
Rashmika Mandanna, born on April 5, 1996, became widely associated with the ‘National Crush of India’ tag, particularly after gaining significant attention in Google searches in 2020. Her popularity has extended beyond regional cinema, helped by her distinctive screen presence and infectious smile.
She first gained widespread recognition with the success of Geetha Govindam in 2018. Her popularity grew further following Sukumar’s Pushpa: The Rise, which arrived in theatres on December 17, 2021.
As Srivalli, Mandanna became a pan-India favourite, while the song ‘Saami Saami’ added further momentum to her popularity. She also appeared as Geetanjali in Animal (2023) and was set to return as Srivalli in Pushpa 2: The Rule, scheduled for release on December 5, 2024.
Sreeleela and Medha Shankr
Born on June 14, 2001, in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Bengaluru, Sreeleela has emerged as another popular name among India’s young actresses. At 25, she has followed an unusual path by pursuing both cinema and medicine, graduating with an MBBS degree in February 2026.
Sreeleela made her Kannada film debut with Kiss in 2019 before entering Telugu cinema with Pelli Sandadi in 2021. She subsequently appeared in films including Dhamaka (2022), Bhagavanth Kesari (2023) and Guntur Kaaram (2024). Her energetic dance performances have contributed significantly to her popularity. The song ‘Kurchi Madathapetti’ from Guntur Kaaram, featuring Mahesh Babu and released on January 12, 2024, became a viral hit.
Medha Shankr, born on August 1, 1998, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, gained widespread online attention after playing Shraddha Joshi in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail (2023). Her performance and natural screen presence connected strongly with audiences, particularly following the film’s OTT release.
The success of 12th Fail helped Shankr gain widespread recognition and cross the one-million mark on Instagram. She is also trained in Hindustani classical music and plays the sitar, harmonium and keyboard. Shankr performed her own vocals for ‘Bolo Na’ in 12th Fail and received the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut.
Sai Pallavi and Priya Prakash Varrier
Sai Pallavi, born on May 9, 1992, became a widely loved name in South Indian cinema following her breakthrough as Malar in Alphonse Puthren’s Malayalam coming-of-age romantic drama Premam. The film was released on May 29, 2015, and became a major commercial success, earning ₹73 crore against a budget of ₹4 crore.
Her natural performance alongside Nivin Pauly, Madonna Sebastian and Anupama Parameswaran received considerable critical appreciation. Pallavi also won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut (South). Her portrayal of Malar made a lasting impression on audiences, even though the ‘National Crush’ label was not as commonly used when she rose to prominence.
Priya Prakash Varrier experienced one of the fastest rises to internet fame. Born on October 28, 1999, she became an overnight sensation in February 2018 after a short clip from ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’, from her debut Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love, went viral.
Released on February 9, 2018, the song and Varrier’s memorable wink turned her into a social media sensation. She became the most searched-for personality on Google in India that year.
Directed by Omar Lulu, Oru Adaar Love eventually reached theatres on February 14, 2019, with Varrier, Roshan Abdul Rahoof and Noorin Shereef in the cast. Made on a reported budget of ₹5 crore, the film earned ₹12 crore. Varrier’s viral wink became a notable example of how social media can rapidly transform an emerging actor into a widely recognised name.