Late Vinod Khanna, Sunny Leone top Yahoo's 2017 most searched Indian celebrities list

The internet won't let Hindi cinema forget actor Vinod Khanna easily it seems. The late actor, who passed away on 27 April this year, topped the list of most searched Indian celebrities (male), while Sunny Leone took the top spot in the females list. Khanna was more searched for than Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, or even Justin Bieber. 

Leone, who was Yahoo's most searched Indian celebrity (female) in 2016 as well, continued to rule the top spot ahead of Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone. While the actress does not have any big hits on her roster, she continues to remain a popular figure in the film industry. 

Chopra's Hollywood forays have ensured the actress takes second spot on the list, while Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor bring up the top five. 

Among the newer generation, Disha Patani and Esha Gupta make it to the top 10 list of most searched celebrities (female) in India. 

The search for male celebrities seems to revolve around controversies as Kapil Sharma and Malayalam actor Dileep follow Khanna on the list. Sharma was involved in a bitter, public feud with his television show Comedy Nights with Kapil Sharma co-star, Sunil Grover, earlier this year. Dileep, meanwhile, is under arrest for kidnapping and molesting an actress from the Malayalam film industry. 

Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth's political stands have put them in the top 10 list above major stars like Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Bachchan. 

Narendra Modi took the top spot for most searched politicians, while Virat Kohli remains the most popular sportsperson on Indian networks in 2017.