Who are South India’s top celeb influencers?
From Allu Arjun to Nayanthara, celebrities from South India are on the rise on Instagram, attracting engagement from fans and collaboration deals from brands
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Published: Mar 13, 2025 9:25 AM | 7 min read
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For decades, Indian cinema was synonymous with Bollywood. However, the spotlight is increasingly shifting towards the film industries down south. Movies in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada are experiencing unprecedented popularity. With gripping storytelling, technical brilliance, and pan-Indian appeal, the South Indian film industries are acing at the box office with recent blockbuster gems like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kalki 2898 AD, Devara - Part 1, The Greatest of All Time, Amaran, Vettaiyan and Manjummel Boys.
According to an Ormax Media Report, the box office share of Telugu movies was 20%, while Tamil stood at 15%, Malayalam at 10%, and Kannada at 3% in 2024. With South Indian cinema movies making up nearly half of the box office earnings, their growing appeal is undeniable.
The rise of digital platforms has further bridged linguistic and cultural gaps, making regional films more accessible to audiences across India and beyond. Stars like Allu Arjun, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vijay Deverakonda, Rashmika Mandanna, Nayanthara and Dulquer Salmaan are experiencing growing pan-India popularity, expanding their fandoms to Bollywood audiences. It has also led to a monumental increase in the influence of these celebrities from the South.
According to Qoruz, an influencer marketing intelligence platform, Tamil cinema’s superstar, Vijay, leads the list of the most influential South Indian celebrities on Instagram, followed closely by Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Ram Charan, Yash, Prabhas, Dulquer Salmaan, Jr NTR and Nayanthara.
Here’s a detailed look into the online personas of the top 10 top celebrity influencers from South India.
Vijay
- Engagement Rate: 18.43%
- Estimated Reach: 11.6M
- Rise to fame: The Greatest Of All Time, the 6th-highest-grossing movie of 2024
Vijay, a Tamil cinema titan, has an extraordinarily devoted Instagram fanbase with the highest engagement rate among his peers at 18.43%. His unique female-majority audience (64%) primarily spans across Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Kerala, appealing mostly to viewers aged 25-34, who make up about 71% of his following. The content on his profile majorly revolves around The Greatest Of All Time, with no prominent brand endorsements except a promotional video for Chennai Super Kings.
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Allu Arjun
- Engagement Rate: 5.97%
- Estimated Reach: 10M
- Rise to fame: Pushpa 2: The Rule, which crossed Rs 10,000 crore at the box office
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Tollywood’s ‘Stylish Star, Allu Arjun’s influence extends beyond South India, with Maharashtra representing his largest audience base at around 20.85%. His predominantly male following (75.71%) engages consistently with his content, giving him a strong 5.97% engagement rate. Most of his recent content is about the massively successful Pusha 2: The Rule, with prominent brand endorsements for Thums Up, KFC, Astral Pipes and Coca-Cola India.
Rashmika Mandanna
- Engagement Rate: 2.77%
- Estimated Reach: 9.6M
- Rise to fame: Pushpa 2: The Rule, Chhava, Animal, Dear Comrade
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Rashmika Mandanna holds the highest follower count among the top celebrities at 45.2 million on Instagram. Her strongest presence is in Karnataka (26.14%), Kerala (17.20%), and Andhra Pradesh (17.00%), with a predominantly male audience (78.43%). The content on her Instagram profile is a mix of candid moments and work promotions, with prominent brand endorsements for Terribly Tiny Tales, Cetaphil, Gillette Venus, CMF by Nothing, Bewakoof, DRA Homes, Pilgrim India, Crunchyroll and 7UP India.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu
- Engagement Rate: 3.12%
- Estimated Reach: 8.4M
- Rise to fame: Citadel Honey Bunny, Theri, 24 and Amazon Prime’s The Family Man
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Samantha Ruth Prabhu maintains a diverse following across Tamil Nadu (18.21%), Kerala (15.10%), and Maharashtra (14.30%). With 37 million followers, she achieves a 3.12% engagement rate with a primarily male audience (71.29%). Most of her Instagram followers are between the ages of 18 and 34, making up nearly 88% of her audience. Samantha’s Instagram profile houses content around her new releases, Take20 (health podcast series) and several brand collaborations. She has recently endorsed brands like Chennai Super Champs, Ekam Early Learning, Star Health Insurance, Secret Alchemist, Nivea and ICICI Bank.
Ram Charan
- Engagement Rate: 4.33%
- Estimated Reach: 7.3M
- Rise to fame: RRR’s Naatu Naatu, which won the Oscar for Best Song in 2023
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Ram Charan enjoys exceptional support in Andhra Pradesh (36.76%) and Telangana (21.16%), with 26 million followers engaging at a rate of 4.33%. His audience skews male (72.44%) and young, with 89% falling between 18 and 34 years of age. He routinely posts about movies, public appearances, key topical events and his family and friends. Some of the brands he has recently endorsed on Instagram include ISPL, Manyavar and Frooti.
Yash
- Engagement Rate: 8.70%
- Estimated Reach: 6.6M
- Rise to fame: KGF 1&2, the highest-grossing Kannada films of all time
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KGF star Yash maintains strong regional support in Karnataka (43.81%) while extending influence to Kerala (15.11%) and Maharashtra (14.11%). His 13.9 million followers engage at an impressive 8.70% rate, 75% of which are male followers, primarily aged 18-34. He often shares glimpses of his life, professional and personal, on Instagram. Some of Yash’s recent brand endorsements include Freedom Oil, Dulux India, Pepsi and Villain.
Prabhas
- Engagement Rate: 7.63%
- Estimated Reach: 5.6M
- Rise to fame: Kalki 2898 AD, the second-highest grossing film of 2024
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With followers evenly distributed across Maharashtra (17.69%), Andhra Pradesh (17.49%), and Telangana (17.17%), Prabhas maintains 7.63% engagement despite less frequent posting. 72% of his 13 million followers on Instagram are male, with nearly 89% between the ages of 18 and 34. He mostly posts about his movies with no prominent brand endorsements on Instagram.
Dulquer Salmaan
- Engagement Rate: 9.03%
- Estimated Reach: 7.4M
- Rise to fame: Sita Raman, Lucky Bhaskar, Guns & Gulaabs
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Malayalam cinema's Dulquer Salmaan enjoys an exceptionally engaged audience in Kerala (71.07%), achieving a 9.03% engagement rate from 15.1 million followers. His audience extends into Tamil Nadu (10.66%) and Karnataka (7.24%), with a 68.93% male following primarily aged 18-34. He mostly posts about his movies and passions. Some of his recent brand encounters include Sneha Snackster, Merceley’s Ice Cream, IQOO, Porsche, Oxygen The Digital Expert, Ultraviolette and Kuku FM.
Jr NTR
- Engagement Rate: 11.31%
- Estimated Reach: 4.7M
- Rise to fame: Devara Part - 1, the 4th-highest-grossing movie of 2024
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Telugu cinema's Jr NTR boasts a high engagement rate of 11.31%, with fans concentrated in Andhra Pradesh (44.87%) and Telangana (28.94%). His 8 million followers are 76.96% male, with nearly 88% falling between the ages of 18 and 34. He often shares candid moments, movie promotion content and glimpses of his personal life. Some of his recent brand collaborations include Zepto, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Bambino Pasta, McDonald's, Licious and Appy Fizz.
Nayanthara
- Engagement Rate: 8.92%
- Estimated Reach: 4.8M
- Rise to fame: Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale, Jawan, Annapoorani
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Nayanthara stands unique with a 69.91% female audience among her 9.9 million followers. She is the only female celebrity from South India with such a large female fanbase on Instagram. Her Instagram feed is complete with photos of her family and work, mirroring the recent Netflix documentary made on her. Some of her recent brand collaborations include Star Health Insurance, 9Skin, Tanishq, Femi9, Pears and The Divine Foods.
Note: These rankings are based on Qoruz’s Creator Authority Score, which measures an influencer’s effectiveness by considering audience quality, content relevance, and performance consistency across platforms.
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