Bold, bright and beautiful, Bollywood’s Gen Z is here. These stars-in-waiting — debutant actors and actresses — are biding their time, some in anticipation of that perfect launchpad, others already started prepping for their big day. We take a look at some of the most promising of the lot…
Sara Ali Khan
WHO? Daughter of the current Nawab of Pataudi, Saif Ali Khan and his ex-wife Amrita Singh, 23-year-old Sara Ali Khan has almost every top filmmaker vying to sign her. Her father insisted on an education before an acting debut. And she did just that, graduating from Columbia University in New York, an Ivy League college.
BUZZ: After completing her education, she got a makeover. She was to be cast in Karan Johar’s remake of The Fault In Our Stars, but that didn’t work out. There was talk of her being launched in another KJo production, starring Hrithik Roshan, but now buzz is, she has been asked to wait a bit longer as Karan wants to launch her opposite Shah Rukh Khan’s older son Aryan.
NEED TO KNOW: Rumours of Sara being in a relationship with former Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s grandson Veer Pahariya surfaced after pictures of them kissing began doing the rounds of social media.
Jhanvi Kapoor
WHO? Jhanvi is Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor’s 19-year-old daughter. She has received training in acting and drama from the Los Angeles-based Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.
BUZZ: Karan Johar will be launching her in one of his productions. Buzz was, she would make her debut in his production Shiddat opposite Varun Dhawan. Now, KJo apparently wants her to debut in the Hindi remake of Sairat, which will co-star another debutant, Shahid Kapoor’s brother Ishaan Khattar.
NEED TO KNOW: Jhanvi is known to have a mind of her own and has her parents’ blessings to explore the world of acting. She is already uninhibited and knows how to pose for the paps. She is dating former Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s other grandson Shikhar Pahariya (Veer’s brother).
Ahan Shetty
WHO? Suniel and Mana Shetty’s son and Athiya Shetty’s brother, 20-year-old Ahan has attended workshops all over Europe and the US and recently completed a course in dramatics in London. Ahan has also been taking diction classes in Hindi, acting, and dance classes. He is also known to be an athlete and loves playing football.
BUZZ: He’s being launched in Sajid Nadiadwala’s next production, a romantic action-drama. He has signed a four-film deal with the filmmaker.
NEED TO KNOW: He is planning to go to Puducherry to attend a workshop on Adi Shakti and a six-week dance course in Atlanta. He is said to be dating Tania Shroff, daughter of businessman Jai Shroff and his ex-wife Romila.
Ishaan Khattar
WHO? Shahid Kapoor’s half-brother, 21-year-old Ishaan Khattar (son of Neelima Azim and Rajesh Khattar), is currently an undergraduate at RIMS International School and Junior College in Mumbai. He started his acting career at the age of 10 in Shahid’s Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! He has worked as an assistant director in Abhishek Chaubey’s Udta Punjab. He is as passionate about dance as his brother and has been taking lessons from Shiamak Davar.
BUZZ: Initially, he was to be launched with Sara Ali Khan in The Fault In Our Stars remake. Now, buzz is that he will debut with Jhanvi Kapoor in the Hindi remake of Sairat, produced by Karan Johar.
NEED TO KNOW: With a bro like Shahid Kapoor guiding him, his career is set to go places pretty soon.
Karan Deol
WHO? Sunny Deol’s elder son, 24-year-old Karan or Rocky, as he is called, is following the footsteps of his father, uncles Bobby and Abhay and grandfather Dharmendra. The media-shy Karan, who is not active on social media, will be launched by the Deols’ production house, Vijeta Films, and is taking acting lessons in Rahul Rawail’s acting school (a branch of the Stella Adler school of acting). While he is not into martial arts, he is a huge fan of football.
BUZZ: Sunny will be directing his son in a love story (that is said to have elements of Betaab and Gadar), tentatively titled, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas and has started a mega hunt for the leading lady in Delhi, who will star opposite Deol Jr. The movie will go on floors in January 2017.
NEED TO KNOW: Karan started out as an AD in Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 and Ghayal Again. He has sung and written a few lines for a song in YPD2. He is not dating anybody presently.
Aadar Jain
WHO? Another Kapoor grandson Aadar Jain, is joining films. He is the son of Raj Kapoor’s daughter Rima Jain. Aadar, 22, has trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and New York Film Academy in acting and filmmaking. He loves music and is a skilled drummer. Impressed by his drumming skills, the producer of Farhan Akhtar’s show Oye Its Friday had invited Aadar along with Priyanka Chopra.
BUZZ: Aadar was to work as an assistant director for Karan Malhotra’s Shuddhi, but as it was taking time, he worked with Farah Khan in Happy New Year for a year and then worked as an AD in Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
NEED TO KNOW: Once ADHM was complete, he was at loose ends when casting director Shanoo Sharma spotted him and spoke about him to Aditya Chopra, who has cast him in Habib Faisal’s next.
Karan Deol, Mahira Khan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Tara Sutaria, Zhu Zhu and Saba Qamar
Mahira Khan
WHO: Pakistani actress and former VJ Mahira Khan makes her debut with Raees starring SRK.
BUZZ: She is one of Pakistan’s most popular and highest-paid actresses. In 2012, Mahira was named as the Most Beautiful Woman in Pakistan. Her Pakistani film debut was with Bol (2011). Mahira was married to Ali Askari, but they divorced in 2015. She has a son with Ali.
NEED TO KNOW: Mahira’s next release in Pakistan is a social-drama titled Verna.
Nidhhi Agerwal
WHO: Nidhhi (23) is a model from Bengaluru, who makes her B-Town debut in Saabir Khan’s Munna Michael opposite Tiger Shroff. She is trained in ballet, yoga, hip-hop dance, belly dancing and plays tennis She also loves horse riding.
BUZZ: Nidhhi is said to have signed a no-dating clause in her contract for the film, with her co-stars, and her personal life.
NEED TO KNOW: Nidhhi, who is a fitness freak, has completed her graduation from Christ University in Bengaluru.
Tara Sutaria
WHO: While Karan Johar has not officially announced it, 21-year-old singer-actor-dancer-model Tara is said to be one of the girls in Student Of The Year 2. Trained in classical ballet, modern dance and Latin American dances, she has been a professional singer since she was seven years old.
BUZZ: Tara has sung for films like Taare Zameen Par, Guzaarish and David. She has played the lead role, Sandy in Raell Padamsee’s production of the musical, Grease and worked as a VJ in Disney channel.
NEED TO KNOW: Tara is best known for her performance in Disney shows like Big Bada Boom and The Suite Life Of Karan And Kabir.
Zhu Zhu
WHO: Chinese actress and singer Zhu Zhu, who was a VJ on MTV China, will be launched in Tubelight starring Salman Khan. The 32-year-old has taken Hindi diction classes for the same. She has a degree in electronics and information engineering from the Beijing Technology and Business University.
BUZZ: After a successful stint as a VJ, Zhu Zhu turned to acting and has worked on famous International projects like What Women Want, Shanghai Calling, The Man with the Iron Fist, Last Flight and a few others.
NEED TO KNOW: Like her co-star Salman, the actress likes horses, too. Also, she once dated Lapo Elkann, grandson of Gianni Agnelli (CEO of Fiat Automobiles). She’s currently single.
Saba Qamar
WHO? Saba is a Pakistani film and TV actress
BUZZ: Saba has been signed for Hindi Medium, directed by Saket Chaudhury and co-starring Irrfan Khan.
NEED TO KNOW: In the wake of the ban on Pakistani artists, it seems doubtful whether she will be cast in the film, though the producers have said they are going ahead with her.
Anya Singh, Kanan Gill, Mustafa Burmawalla, Utkarsh Sharma, Rohan Mehra and Abhimanyu Dasani
Anya Singh
WHO? Anya is from Delhi and is set to act for the first time opposite Aadar Jain in Habib Faisal’s next. The petite beauty has already signed a three-film deal with YRF.
BUZZ: Anya was spotted by Shanoo Sharma at a coffee shop in Delhi when she was scouting around for new girls from Delhi, Chandigarh and other cities.
NEED TO KNOW: Anya has no Bollywood background. She was selected for Habib’s film from among hundreds of other aspirants after two rounds of audition.
Kanan Gill
WHO? Writer, musician and stand-up comedian, Kanan Gill is known for the YouTube series, Pretentious Movie Reviews, where he reviews old Bollywood films. He will be making his Bollywood debut in Sunhil Sippy’s drama-thriller Noor, co-starring Sonakshi Sinha.
BUZZ: Gill plays Saad Sehgal, Noor’s (Sonakshi) best friend, who is a playboy with a heart of gold.
NEED TO KNOW: Gill worked as a software engineer before he chucked it all up to pursue a career in comedy.
Mustafa Burmawalla
WHO? Abbas’s (of director duo Abbas-Mustan) son, Mustafa is being launched by his father in the romantic thriller Machine.
BUZZ: He will be seen performing some daredevil stunts in Machine, which also stars Kiara Advani. Action directors from France and Hong Kong have been roped in to design the action sequences.
NEED TO KNOW: Mustafa has done a film course in New York and assisted Abbas-Mustan in Players, Race 2 and Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon.
Utkarsh Sharma
WHO? Director Anil Sharma’s son Utkarsh has graduated from Chapman University in LA after doing a four-year degree course in cinema. He has also done an acting and filmmaking course from the Lee Strasberg institute in NYC.
BUZZ: He was seen as a child artist in his father’s directorial film Gadar and is being launched by Anil in his next directorial, Genius.
NEED TO KNOW: Utkarsh is known as a sportsman who loves soccer, cricket and basketball. He loves writing and singing in his spare time.
Rohan Mehra
WHO? Actor-filmmaker Vinod Mehra’s son Rohan is his child with Kiran Mehra. After Vinod’s death, he and his sister, Soniya moved to Kenya with Kiran.
BUZZ: Nikkhil Advani will be launching Rohan.
NEED TO KNOW: According to trade reports, Rohan is readying to face the camera.
Abhimanyu Dasani
WHO? Bhagyashree’s (of Maine Pyar Kiya fame) son Abhimanyu’s debut has been stuck for some time now.
BUZZ: There were reports that Salman Khan was going to launch him, but that didn’t happen. Now he is said to have signed his first film — a Phantom production — directed by Vasan Bala, co-starring Radhika Madan. He assisted Rohan Sippy during Dum Maro Dum and Nautanki Saala.
NEED TO KNOW: Abhimanyu is currently undergoing training in dance and action.
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 "Sara, Jhanvi, Ishaan, Ahan & Aadar")
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