Shahid Kapoor is the Sexiest Asian Man, beating Fawad Khan, Virat Kohli, Hrithik Roshan

Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor has been voted the Sexiest Asian Man in the world in an annual UK poll released in London on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old popular actor of recent award-winning films such as Udta Punjab beat competition from chart- topping British-Pakistani singer Zayn Malik, last year’s winner who came in at third this year.

Another popular Bollywood star and one of the past toppers of the list, Hrithik Roshan, is ranked second for the third year in a row in the 50 Sexiest Asian Men poll conducted by London-based weekly newspaper Eastern Eye.

“I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. I am humbled by the desirable tag,” Kapoor told the newspaper.

“I believe sexy is not only to do with the physical, but as much to do with the mental perspective on life. This one is for all those fans who have loved and supported me,” he said.

The annual list, which is based on votes from fans around the world, generated heat on social media as millions from around the world participated.

Eastern Eye entertainment editor and founder of the ’50 Sexiest Asian Men’ list, Asjad Nazir, cited Kapoor’s growing profile as a role model as a key factor behind his big win this year, despite the postponement of his hotly-anticipated film Padmavati, in which he tackles the role of Rawal Ratan Singh.

“Apart from showing off his impressive versatility as an actor and regularly delighting female fans with his chiselled physique, the handsome actor has won the hearts of fans with his devotion to his wife and young child,” says Nazir.

“Being a devoted family man has not only made him even more appealing to women, but also a generation of young men who look up to him,” he notes.

The highest-ranked TV star in the 14th edition of the long-running list is Vivian Dsena, at fourth. Last year’s highest placed small screen star, Ashish Sharma, is ranked fifth, with actor Fawad Khan holding on to his position as the highest placed Pakistani in the list for the second year in a row at sixth.

Others on the top end of the list include actors Salman Khan (7), Gurmeet Choudhary (8), and Ranveer Singh (9), with the only sportsman in the list, cricketer Virat Kohli, completing the top 10.

The highest-ranking newcomer in the 2017 edition of the list is 26-year-old actor Mohsin Khan (17), who has been delighting fans on the hit serial Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.

The youngest in the list is 20-year-old singer and musician Danyal Zafar (41), the younger brother of Pakistani superstar Ali Zafar, who enters the top 50 for the first time.

The oldest entry in the list is once again 52-year-old Shah Rukh Khan (20). The editorial choice for 2017 is British actor-musician Riz Ahmed for helping to “build cultural bridges” with his acting and music.

Other key entries in the 2017 edition of the list include Barun Sobti (11), Ali Zafar (12), Varun Dhawan (13), Akshay Kumar (18), Sidharth Malhotra (23), Prabhas (26), Ranbir Kapoor (27), Imran Abbas (29), Sidhant Gupta (31), Nakuul Mehta (35), Atif Aslam (43) and British singer Arjun (49).

Last week, Indian actress Priyanka Chopra was named as the Sexiest Asian Woman for the fifth time. The complete list of 50 Sexiest Asian Men is published in Eastern Eye on Friday.