Diljit Dosanjh, Ananya Panday, Shalini Passi, Samay Raina: Cultural Icons Of 2024

ANOTHER MOMENTOUS YEAR for Indian pop culture. Another year of “best of” lists. Another claim that this year is different from the rest. Come January 2025 and we all tend to forget these lists, these names and look forward to another year of “path-breaking” content and “fresh” celebrities. There are, however, a few names from this year that are guaranteed to have a bright future going forward. Names we won’t forget for a few years to come. Names who were conversation starters this year. Names who dominated the cultural landscape this year — whether digital or otherwise. These are people who not just made a mark with their work but they sparked off a movement (knowingly or unknowingly), a thought process or even a trend/fad that resonated with audiences across generations. Chances are if you’re scrolling through any of the social media channels this year, one (or all) of these names have popped up on your feeds.

And so, here’s a list of four cultural icons of 2024, people who have represented a unique aspect of the cultural landscape of the year, from comedy to reality TV to film, music and social media.

Samay Raina

I’m tempted to use a cliche here, which would best describe Raina: love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him. You know a comedian has successfully penetrated the psyche of the average Indian consumer when you remember instances when they’ve pissed you off. Still, you also remember instances when they’ve made you laugh till you fall off your chair. At the heart of Raina’s success is his wildly popular YouTube show, India’s Got Latent. A satirical talent show that showcases quirky and often bizarre talents, the series has become a cultural phenomenon, racking up millions of views within hours of release.

Samay’s “edgy” and “dark humour” makes him appealing to especially younger audiences (I don’t want to say mostly male, but in reality, his audience is predominantly young men) and in all his public appearances, he has a contagious nonchalance that helps with his comedy. He started as a budding comedian, doing the rounds of shows like Comicstaan and Comedy Premiere League, but it was during the pandemic in 2020 when he started streaming chess games that his fame shot up. More recently, his comedy has started to get slightly polarised when he made some jokes on Ashish Solanki’s Roast show about Kusha Kapila, sparking quite a public fallout with her.

What makes Raina’s ascent particularly noteworthy is his ability to thrive in a cancel-culture-driven world.

Shalini Passi

A reality TV star who’s not over-the-top, who’d have thought? I have spent every moment of the third season of Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives waiting to either see what Shalini Passi is wearing, or what she has to say, or if we’d have the privilege to witness her piercing silence as drama unfolds (ps: if someone knocked a glass of champagne on me, knowingly or unknowingly, I would be creating rivers of champagne over their heads).

Shalini Passi’s rise to prominence has been refreshingly unconventional. As a standout personality on FLVBW, Passi made a name for herself by championing effortless charm and unapologetic authenticity. Whether it’s in her understated responses, her over-the-top living, her interest in art forms of all types (she sings! And dances! And paints!) or just shots of her walking around in her palatial house in Delhi in couture, Passi dominated viewers attention over her other Delhi peers — Kalyani and Riddhima. By embodying the idea that women don’t need to scream to be heard, Passi’s presence on FLVBW is a subtle yet powerful statement. She’s a reminder that individuality can shine brightest in a world obsessed with noise.

Ananya Panday

Few topics spark as much debate in Bollywood as the “nepo kid” discourse, and Ananya Panday has been at its epicentre since her debut. She started her career as “yet another nepo kid” but in making smart choices, 2024 became her year of reckoning. This year, Panday has managed to transcend the insider vs outsider conversation, not by erasing it but by reshaping it. Her performances in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and CTRL have marked a turning point, where audiences have sat up and taken notice, and then she knocked it out of the park with Call Me Bae, a show that took her stardom to a new level. None of these choices are gold standard, but they’ve marked a shift in how young women in entertainment are leaning more towards “realistic” characters. And it just so happens that Panday's version of “realistic” is “townie” “privileged” and “bubbly” — and she owns it.

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Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, a poignant coming-of-age story, allowed Panday to shed the “star kid” label and step into the role of a relatable, flawed protagonist. Meanwhile, CTRL, a gripping thriller, revealed an edgier side to her acting, proving that she’s willing to take risks to carve her identity in a competitive industry. What’s remarkable about Panday’s journey isn’t just her growth as an actor but her ability to endure relentless scrutiny. By leaning into the narrative rather than resisting it, she’s garnered a grudging respect from even her harshest critics.

Diljit Dosanjh

If there’s one name that defines the cultural zeitgeist of 2024, it’s Diljit Dosanjh. The Punjabi superstar has done it all this year—record-breaking concerts, critically acclaimed films, and chart-topping music. His Dil-Luminati tour alone has cemented his status as a global phenomenon, with sold-out shows across continents and a fan base that spans generations.

Further, Dosanjh’s portrayal of Amar Singh Chamkila in the biopic Chamkila has been hailed as a career-defining performance, bringing the legendary singer’s story to life with nuance and sensitivity. Perhaps what truly sets Dosanjh apart is his ability to be everywhere without oversaturation. His songs play at every public event, his interviews amass millions of views, and his movies continue to break records. Yet, he remains a symbol of authenticity, connecting with audiences on a deeply personal level. For 2024, Dosanjh isn’t just a cultural icon—he’s the cultural icon.