Let’s be honest. Don’t we all exist in this loop of falling in (and never out) of love of fictional characters? Every year comes a show everyone’s talking about, but our dear little hearts can’t get over that one character. In each show. No? Just me?

Whatever you say, I am sure you couldn’t have helped when Cupid shot the crush-arrow (modern times need modern arrows) right at your dil bechara, when you saw these actors on-screen. 

Tujhse Dil Lagaaun, Main Bhi Family Banaaun, Ab Yehi Toh Bas Iraada Hai Mera plays in the background. On my phone.

1. Tom Hiddleston 

He might’ve played the ultra-mischievous god Loki on-screen over the years in Marvel cinematic universe, but he definitely took hearts away when Loki, the series came out this year. Tom instantly became our crush, and when the video of him dancing in Alan Carr: Chatty Man show came out, he decided to live in our heads rent-free. 

DNA India

2. Mimi Keene 

While Sex Education Season 3 blew our minds off as we fell in love with the character developments, it was Ruby aka Mimi who stole the show. Giving us all angrezi Poo vibes, Mimi and Asa Butterfield’s chemistry this season made us ship the couple. And Mimi, here’s the ‘I Love You’ you deserved, because I love you.

Heat World

3. Elizabeth Olsen

The Wanda Vision miniseries made us laugh and cry and hate and love, but primarily crush over Wanda. Elizabeth made the character of Wanda so lovable that we couldn’t help but wish to be Vision. Being her significant other minus the part where Vision dies. Only rosy couple-y stuff.

Glamour

4. Manoj Bajpayee

Don’t you think that guys who are ‘family men’ and keep their partners and kids as priority are so much hotter than the #badbois who just flex their muscles? And when he’s a world class spy fighting like a pro, how can someone not fall head over heels and sing, “I found a love, for me… I never knew you were the someone waiting for me...” ? Manoj Bajpayee in The Family Man definitely gave us the definition of the ‘perfect’ man we all need. 

DNA India

5. HoYeon Jung 

HoYeon may have been walking the ramp for fashions shows for years, but after her stint with Squid Game, she was walking in our dreams because we were blown away by her stellar performance. Having become the global crush, HoYeon had people singing “chura ke dil mera, goriya chali“.

Soompi

6. Wi Ha-joon

No, I couldn’t have finished the article without mentioning Wi Ha-joon’s name at least once. Again from Squid Game, he became one of the reasons why people watched the show. I watched Squid Game for the plot, and the plot being the detective aka Ha-joon’s face. Feeling butterflies as I write this.

Soompi

7. Jay Duplass

While others were obsessing over Sandra Oh in The Chair, I couldn’t get over the handsome English Literature prof Bill Dobson played by Jay. His smile, his looks, his personality: one can’t just walk past without slipping at least once. 

Entertainment Tonight

8. Álvaro Morte

There are only two classes I would love to attend in the world: one is of Chandini ma’am, and the other is Professor’s. Álvaro Morte has always managed to steal our hearts during the entire course of Money Heist, and even though the series is over, my fluttering heart will never stop throbbing for him.

Woman’s Era

9. Mithila Palkar

I don’t even need to say why everyone in the world would love to date her. While Little Things was cute AF, Mithila as Kavya was cuter. TBH, if she gives me one flip of her hair or looks over her shoulder, I’d get weak in my knees.

SpotBoyE

10. Rohit Saraf

Ever since we saw Rishi in Mismatched, he became the national crush. I know why Dimple rejected him, but if I was in her place and Rohit came to me and said “wife?”, I’d blurt a big YES. His appearance in Feels Like Ishq this year just made me crush on him harder.

IndiaTV

11. Richa Moorjani

And then, the perfect cousin. Richa Moorjani makes us sing “tumse mil ke dil ka hai jo haal kya kahein” every time she smiles. As Kamala in Never Have I Ever, she just reiterated the fact that “ek lakh lakh pardesi girl, ain’t nobody like my desi girl“.

Bitch Media

12. Sunny Hinduja

We all cried our hearts out when the results came out and Sandeep Bhaiya couldn’t make it in Aspirants. The look on his face was enough. Sunny, as Sandeep Bhaiya, made us fall immediately in love with the character. If crushing over someone is a relationship status, then believe me I am never getting over this Rajinder Nagar ka relationship.

The Bulletin Time

13. Dino Morea

Now everyone definitely has a thing for antagonists and bad guys. Dino Morea as Shaibani Khan in The Empire gave us goosebumps on the skin and an accelerating heart in the bosom. Looks ‘killer’!

The Indian Express

If you think you can make a playlist out of all the songs I’ve mentioned in this article, then yes, go on. I admit I am a hopeless Bollywood romantic and mujhe ‘kucch toh hua hai’.