2018 Reflections: Newcomers that left a mark

2018, as with any other year, saw its fair share of new faces. Some were much awaited and had excitement levels at their peak in the months before their debuts. Either way, it was an interesting year for the newbies that entered the industry. BizAsiaLive.com looks at the five females and five males who made their debut over the last 12 months.

Male Newcomers

Aayush Sharma
Salman Khan’s brother-in-law marked his on-screen debut in Abhiraj Minawala directed ‘LoveYatri’. The film was set upon the Hindu festival of Navratri and Sharma played a dance teacher. He made a commendable start to his career and was accepted by the industry in his first role.

Rohan Mehra
Vinod Mehra’s son was introduced in Saif Ali Khan starrer ‘Baazaar’ and was praised for his performance. It seems he is definitely one of the strongest newcomers in a long time and it remains to be seen what he takes up next.

Ishaan Khatter
Although this wasn’t his first film, Ishaan Khatter marked his Bollywood debut with ‘Dhadak’, directed by Shashank Khaitan. He was seen in Iranian film ‘Beyond the Clouds’ which was a festival film to start but his performance in ‘Dhadak’ definitely left a mark. Despite obvious comparisons with his brother Shahid Kapoor, Khatter holds his own and shows that he’s got what it takes to pursue an acting career.

Utkarsh Sharma
With ‘Genius’, Anil Sharma’s son debuted in a role which allowed him to explore his versatility, having been seen as a child artist before. However, the film didn’t receive positive reviews. It remains to be seen whether Sharma carries on his film career or something else.

Sunny Kaushal
Vicky Kaushal’s brother Sunny marked his introduction with multi-starrer ‘Gold’. In the film, despite being surrounded by established stars, he managed to create his own space and get noticed.

Female Newcomers

Janhvi Kapoor
Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s eldest daughter Janhvi debuted with Khatter in Dharma Productions produced ‘Dhadak’. Having lost her mother only four months beforehand, the actress made sure her work didn’t suffer and continued to work straight after Sridevi’s demise. In this film, a remake of hugely acclaimed Marathi film ‘Sairat’, Kapoor performs as if she has acting in her genes and she is already looking to a bright career ahead.

Sara Ali Khan
Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan’s daughter was another industry child debuting this year and she did so this month with ‘Kedarnath’ opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. Having made waves in her interviews and other appearances pre-release, Sara’s power-packed and natural performance won the hearts of the audiences. Her next film ‘Simmba’ which releases this week will undoubtedly only add to this.

Mouni Roy
TV actress, best known as ‘Naagin’, marked her debut on the big screen with ‘Gold’. She was seen as Akshay Kumar’s love interest and, as expected, made a great start to her Bollywood career.

Banita Sandhu
In Shoojit Sircar’s ‘October’, Banita Sandhu – from Wales – was introduced. Her performance was applauded by many and her chemistry with Varun Dhawan was also something that was talked about. She has since starred in Diljit Dosanjh’s single but no doubt the film offers will have been forthcoming too.

Aisha Sharma
Having a sister as an actress may have been a plus point for Aisha Sharma but it seems she made an impact in her own right in her debut ‘Satyamev Jayate’, in which she was seen with John Abraham. She was praised in her performance and the film also did well at the box office.

There were of course many other newcomers this year including Dulquer Salmaan who made his Bollywood debut, Mithali Palkar who is known for her digital series. Warina Hussain also starred in her first film ‘LoveYatri’. Radhika Madan made her debut in ‘Pataakha’, as well as Ihana Dhillon who was seen in her first Bollywood film, ‘Hate Story 4’.