2013 Flashback: Debutants of the Year

After conquering the hearts of many with his acting skills on television, Sushant was seen as Ishaan Bhatt in Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che! and what dedication this man has shown! In this debut year itself, he was also seen in Shuddh Desi Romance opposite Parineeti Chopra and newcomer Vaani Kapoor. Sushant can now be categorized as one of the most lethal actors of the new generation with upcoming movies ranging from the lead role in Yash Raj banner's Detective Byomkesh Bakshi to a side role in Rajkumar Hirani's next venture P.K., in which, Rajput will be seen alongside Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma. Additionally, Sushant will be seen in Shekhar Kapur's Paani and upon casting Rajput for the leading role, the director himself declared him as one of the most inspiring actors of Bollywood.

Rhea Chakraborty made her Bollywood debut as Jasleen in Mere Dad Ki Maruti in 2013; however, she had been earlier seen as a VJ and show anchor for MTV.  While her debut movie didn't do quite so well at the box office despite  it being a YRF production,  the critics applauded the actress for her fine performance. Before her Bollywood debut, Rhea was also seen in the Telugu film Taneega Taneega in 2012, which captured  the attention of quite a few fans. Ms. Chakraborty will now appear in Rohan Sippy's upcoming movie Sonali Cable, which is to release in late 2014.

Taapsee Pannu was seen as a model and leading lady in many Telugu/Tamil movies before she debuted for David Dhawan's comedy film of 2013, Chashme Baddoor, which was a remake of  the1981's film with the same title. In her debut film, Taapsee shared the screen space with the Pakistani singer-turned-actor Ali Zafar. Pannu is currently filming for Running Shaadi.com in which she is paired opposite Amit Sadh.

 

The sequel to Apoorva Lakhia's 2007 film Shootout at Lokhandwala, Shootout at Wadala, made way for star kid, Siddhanth Kapoor.  Veteran actor,  Shakti Kapoor is the father of this exceptional young talent who made sure his debut performance stood out amongst other well-known actors featured in the film, namely Kangana Ranaut, Anil Kapoor, and John Abraham. But it would not be fair to say that Kapoor is a newcomer to film sets, as he has worked as an assistant director for super-hit movies such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Bhagam Bhaag, Dhol, and Chup Chup Ke, as well as his debut film. Siddhanth will be next seen in Anurag Kashyap's upcoming venture, Ugly.

Sasha Agha (born as Zara Khan) is the daughter of singer-actress Salma Agha,  and marked her entry to Bollywood in Yash Raj banner's romantic thriller, Aurangzeb, opposite Arjun Kapoor and Prithviraj Sukumaran. In addition to acting, Sasha was also featured in the song "Barbaadiyaan" and her efforts were greatly appreciated. Despite being a newcomer, Agha is already making a name for herself as one of the sexiest young actresses in Bollywood. FHM India ranked Ms. Agha at number 29 on the 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2013 list. This is just one of the many compliments that this young actress has achieved in her first year. Next, Sasha will be seen as a physiotherapist in Anand Kumar's Desi Kattey alongside Suniel Shetty, Jay Bhanushali, and Tia Bajpai. The film is to be released in 2014. 

Dhanush is a name that many have heard and learned to associate with Bollywood. This man has done it all - acting, singing, producing, song-writing and screenplay writing. Riding high from the success of his song "Why this Kolaveri Di," the actor made it  onto this list by making his debut in June with his super-hit film, Raanjhanaa, alongside Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol. Dhanush is married to Rajnikanth's daughter, Aishwariya, and that only adds on to his already 'filmy' family. Danush's father Kasthuri Raja is a producer and director, while his brother Selvaraghavan is a famous director in the South. In addition to making his film debut, Dhanush also made time for philanthropy this year by partnering with WWF India to make Earth Hour a huge success.

 

Girish Kumar Taurani made his debut with the romance comedy Ramaiya Vastavaiya on July 19th with Shruti Hassan as his female lead. Prabhu Deva, the director of this movie, had sung praises of the young actor and said that there was a certain x-factor about him. Girish's debut film  was produced his father and managing director of Tips, Kumar S. Taurani. The actor prepared for the role by building up the requisite six packs in three short weeks before the movie was to be shot. Prabhu Deva and special choreographers utilized 25 songs to prepare Girish for all forms of dancing the movie might require. Surely, the actor seemed to have worked a lot in the three years it took Prabhu Deva to successfully launch him!

The model-turned-actress made her acting debut as Bachchi Kashyap in Manish Tiwary's Issaq alongside Prateik Babbar. The role seemed to be a good fit for Amyra, with one critic calling her performance 'sincere' and 'promising'. While many Bollywood celebrities go from another 'wood' to Bollywood, Amyra is stepping into the South industry in 2014 with the movie Anegan.

Vaani Kapoor

Yet another model who stepped into Bollywood is one of the faces of YRF's Shuddh Desi Romance, Vaani Kapoor. The actress was the second female lead opposite Sushant Singh Rajput and alongside Parineeti Chopra. Shooting her debut film was not a cake walk for Ms. Kapoor. Vaani mentioned that she was scared of the director Maneesh Sharma and that she faced quite a lot of challenges during filming. Ms. Kapoor has repeatedly clarified that she is in no way linked to the Kapoor Khandaan but is infact, a genuine Kapoor. Next, she is to be seen in the Tamil/Telugu remake of Band Baaja Baraat.

 

Ram Charan Teja is primarily known for his acting in South films and has even won quite a few awards for his performances. But the actor finally broke through the barrier in September 2013 and entered Bollywood playing ACP Vijay Khanna in Zanjeer. The actor, who is known for being somewhat of a tantrum king, was on his best behavior while shooting for his debut film in Bollywood. He was always on time and down-to-earth as quoted by a few of his colleagues. Ram also ranked 69 in this year's India's Forbes List with an earning for Rs. 12.67 crore.

Author: Saraa K.

Editor(s): Marsh P and Gunia M.

Graphics: Marsh P.