The year brings fresh ammo for the critics of Nepo kids as Aryan Khan, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Rasha Thadani and Shanaya Kapoor are poised to make their debut
Censure and appreciation both come to them in equal measure. As if the scene is already not crowded enough with star kids, many more with filmy connections are likely to make their debut this year.
The year begins with not just one but two debutants Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani, who owe their entry into films to their relatives in the industry. Azaad, directed by acclaimed director Abhishek Kapoor, features not only Ajay Devgn’s nephew Aaman abut also Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha. If the mom still looks ravishing, the daughter has but naturally inherited her genes. Of course, trying to fit into the shoes of the ‘mast mast’ actress will not be an easy proposition.
Yet another star son who will have to face comparisons, fair and unfair is Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s son Ibrahim Ali Khan. With father Saif still very much in the reckoning, can the son who bears uncanny resemblance with him, carve his own niche? His debut film Sarzameen, co-starring Kajol and Prithviraj Sukumaran, directed by Kayoze Irani, is slated to release on Republic Day. The patriotic drama set in Kashmir explores the combustible issue of terrorism.
Whether Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya Kapoor can stun her fans in her big screen outing or not, she has already been turning heads. Earlier, she was to debut in Karan Johar film which got shelved. Now, she will be launched in the film Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, based on a short story The Eyes Have It by Ruskin Bond. Vikrant Massey may have announced his long break but in this romantic drama the talented actor of 12th Fail will be paired opposite her. Shanaya is also expected to be seen in a Telugu-Malayalam film Vrushabha, headlined by superstar Mohanlal. Her father Sanjay may have tasted success as an actor in prime years of his life, can the daughter crack the success code with her initial forays? Well, she certainly has the looks for the glamour world.
Chunky Panday’s daughter Ananya Panday has been the pet peeve of trolls. Until she delivered in Gehraiyaan and last year in Vikramaditya Motwane’s CTRL, no one took her seriously. Will the naysayers be kinder to her cousin Aahaan Panday? Nevertheless, he is on a strong footing and is being backed by none other than YRF films and in a movie directed by Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain fame Mohit Suri.
Behind the camera
Most star kids have chosen the conventional path and are making their acting debuts that too mostly in the safe genre of love stories. Only king of romance Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan treads a different ground. Ready to make the director’s cut with no less than a web-series which looks at the ups and downs of stardom, he is one star kid whose career graph will be interesting to watch.
Beauty queen in action
Of course, Bollywood is not only open to those who have a filmy lineage, but is a natural destination of beauty queens as well. Harnaaz Sandhu, 2021 Miss Universe will be seen in Baaghi 4. In an action driven franchise riding solely on its action hero Tiger Shroff, hope she gets her place in the movie and under the Bollywood sun.
Old hands, new turf
Interestingly those who have already made a name for themselves are looking at fresher pastures as well. Rajkumar Hirani’s last theatrical release Dunki went unappreciated, if not unnoticed. His digital debut as a showrunner of a cyber-crime thriller series titled Pritam Pedro does sound more exciting though.
After a successful stint in theatres, director-producer Siddarth Anand’s hit film Fighter went on to become the most watched Hindi film on Netflix. Now, the producer in him is eyeing direct to OTT release. Jewel Thief, starring Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat, is scheduled to drop on Netflix.
From South to North
The North-South demarcation is blurring so fast that it’s hard to draw a firm line. Yet, Bollywood debuts of South Indian stars always create a buzz. Powerhouse of talent Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil, whose unhinged antagonist act we so loved in the Pushpa franchise, is likely to floor us with yet another knockout performance in an unconventional love story. Coming from the balladeer of love in all its complexities Imtiaz Ali, the unusual pairing of Fahadh with Tripti Dimri will be another reason to root for the film.
In 2024, director Rajkumar Periasamy created a heartfelt tribute to braveheart Major Mukund Varadarajan in Amaran. If he hit the ball out of the park with his much acclaimed Tamil film Amaran, the ball might have landed in the Bollywood court and he is likely to start his Bollywood innings this year. Grapevine has it that Bhushan Kumar has signed him for a pan-Indian film.
Telugu superstar Jr NTR is certainly not an unfamiliar name for Hindi speaking audiences. But he makes his true blue Bollywood debut as he joins the YRF spyverse in action thriller War 2 starring Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani.
As Meister Eckhart said, “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Here is to new beginnings and fresh starts. Whoever said ‘first time is the charm’ was not off the mark. Get ready to be smitten.
