Successful comebacks always have an element of pleasant surprise, and 2023 was the year that blew us away with some. Here are five Bollywood actors who almost disappeared from the public eye and are now back winning hearts, apart from an absolutely unexpected first appearance.

Harman Baweja in Netflix series Scoop

He shot to fame in 2008 as the leading man opposite Priyanka Chopra in his debut film Love Story 2050 and despite his good looks (being a Hrithik Roshan lookalike was a plus), Harman Baweja’s career as a Bollywood hero fizzled out very soon. So when Harman popped up 15 years later in Hansal Mehta’s Netflix series Scoop, almost unrecognisable as a middle-aged top cop, many were jolted out of their seats to see his name in the end credits. On top of that, Harman delivered a knockout performance as JCP Harshvardhan Shroff, a complex character standing in the grey zone of his morals with a worsening health condition. Who knew Harman Baweja had this fire in his belly!

Bobby Deol in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal

Another actor whose career as a Bollywood hero nosedived after the initial high,

Bobby Deol got back into the game slowly and steadily over the past few years. The younger Deol brother broke his long dry patch with back-to-back OTT projects like Aashram, Love School, and Class of ’83. But it is as the mute villain Abrar in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s box-office juggernaut Animal that Bobby has gained a whole new fanbase that can’t have enough of him. His first appearance in the film to the catchy Jamal Jamalo song — which went viral — is easily the best introduction scene in Bollywood films in recent memory, and with it the 54-year-old actor has risen from the ashes of his heydays of Barsaat (1995) and Soldier (1998).

Zeenat Aman on Instagram

Until 2023, the mention of Zeenat Aman would evoke the image of a westernised young woman in a haze of smoke from the 1971 film Hare Rama Hare Krishna. She is one of the OG glam goddesses of Bollywood — along with Parveen Babi — who carved a special place for herself while also courting controversy for the choices she made, before retiring from films and the spotlight. And it was an absolute treat when Zeenat resurfaced — on Instagram — and channelled her unique feisty, elegant personality. Since her IG debut, the 71-year-old thespian has been living it up on social media, posting pictures of her shoots, ramp walk and family, sharing anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories of her films, and occasionally talking about her yesteryear colleagues. Currently, Zeenat Aman has 577K followers and counting.

Imran Khan on Instagram

The actor who made his debut with Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na in 2008 and won hearts with his acting as well as his good looks also resurfaced with new posts on Instagram in 2023 after disappearing from both films and social media. Imran starred in a slew of offbeat romcoms, playing the lead opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan (Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Gori Tere Pyaar Mein), Deepika Padukone (Break Ke Baad), Katrina Kaif (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan), Anushka Sharma (Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola), Sonam Kapoor (I Hate Luv Storys) and Kangana Ranaut (Katti Batti) — many of which didn’t work at the box office. Now, with 878K followers on Instagram, the 40-year-old actor is sharing his mental health journey and behind-the-scenes memories from the sets of his films. He has also hinted at his comeback.

Meenakshi Sheshadri in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa

One of the top Bollywood actresses of the ’80s and early ’90s, Meenakshi Sheshadri ruled the box office with films such as Hero, Damini, Ghatak and Ghayal, after being launched at age 17 in Manoj Kumar’s production Painter Babu. While still at the top of her game, Meenakshi quit films, got married and moved to the US with her investment banker husband Harish Mysore. Besides her acting skills, Meenakshi was also known for her dance numbers, and after decades the graceful actress returned to the screen as a special guest on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

First appearance — Aditya Chopra in Netflix docuseries The Romantics

After shielding himself from the media since his blockbuster directorial debut Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge in 1995, Aditya Chopra, the scion of Yash Raj Films, appeared on camera for the first time in The Romantics. Aditya talked about himself, his illustrious father and the road head for YRF in the Netflix docuseries. It was an unprecedented moment for Bollywood, with a number of filmstars giving a ringside view of him, but what stood out for viewers above all is an affable, articulate and intelligent man and his enduring passion for cinema. The most delightful trivia was that Aditya Chopra was even a better dancer than Hrithik Roshan when they were kids.