Rashmika Mandanna - 31.7M followers
Topping the list is Rashmika Mandanna, a leading South Indian actress who rose to fame rapidly and was dubbed the "Karnataka Crush" for her cute expressions. The actress made her Kollywood debut in the film 'Sulthan' with actor Karthi.In Tamil Nadu, she became a sensation due to the hit song 'Saami Saami' from the Telugu film 'Pushpa,' dubbed into many languages. The actress will appear in Thalapathy Vijay's upcoming yet-to-be-titled film.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu - 23.8M followers
Samantha Akkineni is one of the most famous South Indian actresses in the film industry. Whether it's Kollywood or Bollywood, her career is o-the-rise! The actress debuted as a heroine in 'Ye Maaya Chesave', starring Naga Chaitanya. Seven years after falling in love on the film's set, the actors got married.
In 2021, the couple decided to split, and Samantha committed herself to one project after another following her divorce. She seems to have developed a bigger fan following, especially after her award-winning performance in the Hindi web series 'The Family Man 2' that gained her widespread praise and acclaim. On top of that, her 'Oo Antava' dance number from 'Pushpa' and the role 'Khatija' in Vignesh Shivan's 'KVRK' made her an even bigger sensation.
Kajal Aggarwal - 22.7M followers
Kajal Aggarwal is one of the most well-known actresses in the South Indian film industry. She has collaborated with several prominent stars in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films over the last decade.The actress debuted in Tamil cinema with Pazhani, directed by Perarasu and starring Bharath. While she struggled in the initial years, her Telugu flicks 'Magadheera' and 'Arya 2' secured her position in the South and landed her more roles in K-town with actors like Suriya, Karthi, Vijay, and Ajith.
In 2020, the stunning actress tied the knot with a Mumbai-based design entrepreneur Gautham Kitchlu in a private ceremony attended by close family and friends. She recently gave birth to a son and has taken a break from films to focus on her family.
Rakut Preet Singh - 21.8M Followers
Rakul Preet Singh is an upcoming actress in the South Indian movie industry. She debuted in a Kannada film in 2009 and is known to work in multiple languages seamlessly, from Kollywood to Tollywood and Bollywood.
The actress previously claimed that she acted in her debut film 'Gilli,' a Kannada remake of '7G Rainbow Colony,' for pocket money and had no knowledge of 'how big South Indian films were.' But after its success, Rakul completed her education and competed in several beauty pageants (winning some of them) before returning to films in 2011.
Rakul is well-known in Tamil cinema for her roles in 'Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru' and 'NGK.' Next, she will star in 'Ayalaan' with Sivakarthikeyan.
Pooja Hegde - 20.1M Followers
Pooja Hegde is undoubtedly one of the busiest actresses in the Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi film industries. After the director saw her pageant stills, Pooja made her debut with Jiiva in the 2012 Tamil superhero film Mugamoodi, directed by Mysskin.After its release, she moved on to Hindi and Telugu films, returning to Tamil nine years later with "Beast." Despite the mixed reviews regarding her performances in the recent films Beast and Radhe Shyam, the actress continues to receive more offers. She is working with some of the top actors from Bollywood (like Salman Khan and Ranveer Singh) and Tollywood (Mahesh Babu).
Photo Credit: Bollywood Shadis, India Today, Shouting Stars, Hindustan Times & Bollywood Life