JANKI BODIWALA
Film: Shaitaan
One of the earliest — and rare hits — of 2024 witnessed the Hindi film debut of Janki Bodiwala. Playing the central role of a teenager who is hypnotised, controlled and used as a weapon against her own family by a stranger who walks into their house one day, the 29-year-old actress was superlative in Shaitaan. Holding her own opposite veterans like Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan and Jyothika, Janki conveyed a myriad of emotions, mostly through her eyes. That she had played the same role a year earlier in Vash, the Gujarati original on which Shaitaan is based, was a definite advantage.
PRATIBHA RANTA
Film: Laapataa Ladies
Television actress Pratibha Ranta made her Bollywood debut with Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies. In a film peopled with memorable performances — including that of her young co-stars Sparsh Srivastava and Nitanshi Goel — the 23-year-old Shimla girl was a standout, bringing both verve and vulnerability to her part of a runaway bride who is feisty and fearless but also encumbered by the weight of societal stereotypes and expectations. A few months later, the actress also made an impression in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s web debut Heeramandi, albeit in a small role.
PASHMINA ROSHAN
Film: Ishq Vishk Rebound
Armed with Bolly cred — she is the daughter of music composer Rajesh Roshan and cousin of Hrithik Roshan — Pashmina made her debut with Ishq Vishk Rebound, that attempted to be an upgrade of the 2003 Shahid Kapoor film Ishq Vishk. Pashmina, however, was the weakest link in the film which only scored in parts, with co-stars Rohit Saraf and Jibraan Khan (who we know better as the actor who played Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan’s son in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham) faring much better.
JUNAID KHAN
Film: Maharaj
Aamir Khan’s son could have opted for a flashy debut in a big-budget massy entertainer, but the simple and unassuming Junaid chose to make his entry into Bollywood with an unconventional period film based on a true story. In Maharaj, a Yash Raj Films production that released on Netflix, the tall and strapping Junaid played the part of Karsandas Mulji, a real-life pre-Partition reformer who legally took on the might of a powerful religious guru (essayed by Jaideep Ahlawat), accusing the latter of sexually exploitative practices.
Junaid, playing a character that demanded much from him, showed spark in parts, but the wet-behind-the ears actor was mostly awkward in the role, lacking both the fieriness and finesse needed for the portrayal. We hope that the 31-year-old, who has films coming with Khushi Kapoor and Sai Pallavi, lives up to the Khan surname in his next.
LAKSHYA
Film: Kill
His debut was a banger — pun intended! Newcomer Lakshya carried Kill on his broad and able shoulders, delivering one of the most impressive debut performances in Bollywood in recent years. As a one-man army who singlehandedly takes on a gang of trigger-happy dacoits on a moving train and reduces them to pulp (quite literally), the former TV star made a solid entry, earning praise for his physicality, personality and punches. “When Kill came to me, I gave it all I had. It came to me at the right time. I was so full of angst, desperation and vulnerability,” Lakshya had told t2 after Kill — dubbed as “India’s most violent film” — had released. We predict a handful of best debut awards for the young man.
MALAVIKA MOHANAN
Film: Yudhra
Malavika Mohanan, the daughter of veteran cinematographer K.U. Mohanan, made her debut more than a decade ago and has since acted predominantly in Tamil and Malayalam films. Seven years ago, Malavika made quite an impression with celebrated Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s film Beyond The Clouds, co-starring debutant Ishaan Khatter. However, Yudhra, the 31-year-old’s masala Bollywood debut with Siddhant Chaturvedi, came a cropper, failing miserably at the box office. Malavika, though, stood out with her spunk in what was a sketchily written role.
SHAHEER SHEIKH
Film: Do Patti
A massively popular television actor, Shaheer Sheikh — whose fandom on the Indonesian small screen has earned him the title of ‘SRK of Indonesia’ — made his Bolly debut with the thriller Do Patti, released on Netflix. Playing the role of an abusive husband with anger issues, the actor, 40, was lauded for taking on an unconventional part in his debut film but given how average Do Patti turned out to be in every department, the gamble didn’t pay off.
ANJINI DHAWAN
Film: Binny and Family
Varun Dhawan’s niece made a quiet entry into Bollywood with a family drama which not only garnered largely positive reviews, but also showcased young Anjini’s fledgling promise as an actor, who was described in most reviews as “confident” and “impressive” in the role of a rebellious teen who gradually understands the value of family from her grandfather (played by Pankaj Kapur). The 24-year-old has already entered the big league with her sophomore outing being the 2025 Salman Khan biggie Sikandar.
BREAKOUT BUNCH
Abhay Verma
The baby-faced lead of the blockbuster horror comedy Munjya has the nation crushing over him. Abhay Verma, 26, started off with a supporting role in The Family Man and made his big-screen debut with the independent film Safed last year, but it is Munjya which has catapulted him into the spotlight, including a rumoured pivotal role in King, starring Shah Rukh Khan with daughter Suhana.
Nitanshi Goel
The 17-year-old has been acting in films and on the web since 2012. This year, her turn as the sweet-natured and Phool who discovers herself and her worth in Laapataa Ladies, has earned Nitanshi, whose Instagram follower count alone is a whopping 11 million, a lot of praise and many a ‘breakout star’ nod.
Sparsh Srivastava
Nitanshi’s Laapataa Ladies co-star started out with the TV series Balika Vadhu and starred in the 2021 straight-to-digital film Collar Bomb. As Deepak, the ultimate green flag in Kiran Rao’s Oscar-hopeful film, Sparsh has won hearts. A month after Laapataa Ladies, the 25-year-old went on to co-star with Sara Ali Khan in the pre-Partition drama Ae Watan Mere Watan.
