21 Crushes Who Made Our Hearts Soar In 2021

It's been a great year for all these celebrities!

1. Regé-Jean Page

Instagram: @regejean / Via instagram.com

Oh! I could wax eloquent about Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings — right from his ridiculously good looks to his excellent acting chops. Winning an Emmy nomination for Bridgerton and also, like, a million hearts, Regé-Jean Page is definitely one of the showstoppers of the year.

2. Rohit Saraf

Instagram: @rohitsaraf / Via instagram.com

2021 has truly been a year of transformation for Rohit, with massive hits on Netflix like Mismatched and Ludo, both of which basically cemented him as our national crush. He was also definitely the draw in Feels Like Ishq.

3. Manoj Bajpayee

Instagram: @bajpayee.manoj / Via instagram.com

While Manoj Bajpayee has always been one of the finest actors of our generation, his portrayal of Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man, especially the second season that came out this year, has made him one of the shining gems of 2021. He recently admitted that he had almost rejected the role because he was reluctant about being confined to the OTT template. Let's just say that we're SO GLAD he didn't. Oh and he was also easily the best thing about Ray and Silence.

4. Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Instagram: @samantharuthprabhuoffl / Via instagram.com

While Samantha has always been a scene-stealer, her mind-blowing performance as Raji in The Family Man 2 made heads turn. The grit and determination of her character was fascinating to watch, and Raji is indeed a fine example of the powerful female characters we wish to see on our screens. Thank you for bringing her to life, Samantha!

5. Taylor Swift

Instagram: @taylorswift / Via instagram.com

Every fan and brand rejoiced in red as Taylor released her own version of her 2012 album in October of this year. She deservedly also made it to Forbes' list of 100 of the World’s Most Powerful Women in 2021. We all know "all too well" that Taylor is basically the best.

6. Sushmita Sen

Instagram: @sushmitasen47 / Via instagram.com

After years of enthralling people with her big screen performances, Sushmita Sen made her digital debut with Aarya on Disney+Hotstar, in 2020. With the release of the show's second season, she has set the bar high and how! I couldn't take my eyes off her even for a minute.

7. Sidharth Malhotra

Instagram: @sidmalhotra / Via instagram.com

It only feels like yesterday when Sidharth stepped into B-town as a newcomer and delivered some great performances as his career progressed. However, he truly made his mark this year as Captain Vikram Batra, in the blockbuster, Shershaah. From Student Of The Year to Star Of The Year!

8. Falguni Nayar

PUNIT PARANJPE / AFP via Getty Images

From building a beauty empire from scratch to taking it to the Bombay Stock Exchange, Falguni Nayar has proven that there's no age limit when it comes to achieving your goals and realising your dreams. The Nykaa founder's net worth soared to a whopping $7 billion, as she became the wealthiest self-made female billionaire in India and was also amongst the Top 20 Richest People in the country.

9. The Indian Hockey Team

Alexander Hassenstein / Getty Images

Bringing back all the Chak De! feels for India, our remarkable hockey team beat Germany at the Tokyo Olympics and claimed a bronze medal for the country after 41 years! Their victory was a reminder for the world that Indian players truly leave no stone unturned when it comes to winning medals (and hearts).

10. Neeraj Chopra

Matthias Hangst / Getty Images

Aka — The Golden Boy! Bringing India its first ever gold for Javelin Throw at The Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj was truly shining like a diamond under the spotlight of victory. At the age of 23, he has achieved what millions of us could only dream of. Oh and that CRED ad was just as good, if not better than the one starring our other national crush, Rahul Dravid.

11. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu

Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Providing India the perfect start at the Tokyo Olympics, Mirabai Chanu bagged the silver medal in Women's Weightlifting on the very first day of the games. Lifting a total load of 202 kgs, she is indeed a shining example of the strength of the spirit of sportsmanship.

12. Sonu Sood

Instagram: @sonu_sood / Via instagram.com

Sonu Sood has emerged as an angel for humankind during this pandemic. From helping migrant workers reach their homes, to providing them food and shelter, to making sure the country could breathe during the horrible second wave by ceaselessly arranging for oxygen concentrators, he is a treasure we need to protect at all costs.

13. Kriti Sanon

Instagram: @kritisanon / Via instagram.com

Kriti Sanon's career graph has evolved tremendously with every outstanding performance of hers. This year, Mimi, which was no less than a piece of art, earned a special spot in our hearts. Her character’s transition from a dancer, to a surrogate, to a mother, was a clear illustration of Kriti’s impeccable acting skills.

14. Harnaaz Sandhu

Instagram: @harnaazsandhu_03 / Via instagram.com

India collectively said "Chak de phatte", as we made way for our new Miss Universe — the smart, beautiful, talented, and wonderfully articulate, Harnaaz Sandhu. At the age of 21, Harnaaz brought home the Miss Universe crown after 21 whole years!

15. Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha Paul

Instagram: @rajkummar_rao / Via instagram.com

These cuties basically defined couple goals when they tied the knot in 2021, after dating for eleven years! We couldn't take our eyes off the newlyweds (of course!) and Patralekha's gorgeous Sabyasachi lehenga that carried a special message for the groom, in Bengali — “Amar Poran Bhora Bhalobasha Aami Tomay Somorpon Korilam” (I give you all my love). 

*happy tears*

16. Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal

Instagram: @katrinakaif / Via instagram.com

The newest it couple of B-town, Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal got the nation extremely curious about their super-private wedding ceremony at the Six Senses Fort Barwara. From news of excessively tight security, to Katrina's customised kaleeras, to those gorgeous photographs, their wedding was all the internet could talk about and #VicKat truly became the hashtag of the year! 

17. The FRIENDS cast!

Instagram: @jenniferaniston / Via instagram.com

We all felt pure, unbridled joy when that purple door opened after 17 whole years, didn't we? Lively and astounding as ever, our six favourite friends rocked it during the reunion and helped us get over the "moo point" that the year was!

18. Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game.

Netflix

2021 was, without any doubt, the year of Squid Game and Lee Jung-jae's Seong Gi-hun had our hearts beating (and rooting for him) throughout the show. He was kind, empathetic, loyal, and brave, but also SO cute! There's more good news because the actor has been nominated for "The Best Actor in a Television Series — Drama" award at the 2022 Golden Globes.

19. Shantanu Dhope

Instagram: @shantanuuu / Via instagram.com

A creator we absolutely fell in love with in 2021 was Shantanu Dhope, a makeup artist and influencer who has been smashing stereotypes in the beauty industry with his creativity. His Instagram bio reads, "Brown boys wear makeup too", and Shantanu has indeed been promoting the inclusion of men in the makeup space, since time immemorial. In November of 2021, he very deservedly earned a feature on the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine.

20. Leena Nair

Instagram: @leenanairhr / Via instagram.com

Stepping in as the new global CEO of Chanel, Leena Nair is one of the many examples of South Asian women ruling the corporate world. Born in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Leena has had an exemplary career of 30 years at Hindustan Unilever. In fact, in 2016, she became the first Asian and first female Chief Human Resources Officer of the Unilever Group. We can't stop admiring Leena for absolutely killing it!

21. Manav Kaul

Instagram: @manavkaul / Via instagram.com

I am not very good at lying, so I'll admit that I added Manav Kaul to this list simply for stealing our hearts as the adorable Kabir in Ajeeb Daastaans, while looking like THIS! <3

h/t: 20 Crushes Who Made Your Heart Soar In 2018