Urmila Matondkar was all but written off as another face in the crowd until Ram Gopal Varma relaunched her in Rangeela.

The star discoverer has given a facelift to several careers: Manoj Bajpai did a bit role in Mahesh Bhatt's Tamanna before Varma relaunched him in Satya.

Now, it is Randeep Hooda's turn.

The model-turned-actor, also known as Sushmita Sen's current flame, made his movie debut as the Sydney-based cousin Rahul in Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding two years ago. But he went unnoticed in a slew of impressive performances and all but vanished since.

Now he is being guarded more fanatically than Hema Malini, when the Dream Girl was discovered 34 years ago.

Varma says he sensed something about Hooda when he showed up like dozens of other hopefuls. "I have so many newcomers approaching me that it is no longer funny or interesting. Once in a while, I see that 'IT' quality in an aspirant. I saw it in Vivek Oberoi [who debuted in Company]. Now, I see it in Randeep."

Hooda will play the main antagonist opposite Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar, Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty in Varma's ambitious international project, Ek. He then intends to launch Hooda as leading man in an action movie.

Varma says Hooda is his best discovery to date.

Meanwhile, there are others who are also attempting a second coming.

Director Govind Menon is relaunching Himanshu Malik (who went largely unnoticed after his supporting debut role in Anubhav Sinha's Tum Bin) and Reema Lamba (who starred in Talat Jani's flop Jeena Sirf Merre Liye and is Mallika Sheravat in her new avatar) in Khwahish. "I would like to erase Tum Bin and Jeena Sirf… from Himanshu and Mallika's roster if possible. In fact, I am launching them as newcomers in Khwahish."

Sandali Sinha and Amrita Rao, who made unremarkable debuts in Tum Bin and Raj Kanwar's Ab Ke Baras respectively, are hoping to make a belated impact in Om and Ishq Vishq, both of which are ready for release. Indian television's popular actor and anchor Aman Verma (of Kyunki... Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi... and Khullja Sim-Sim), who played a supporting role in director Tanuja Chandra's Sangharsh four years ago, is hoping to restart his movie career with producer Mahesh Manjrekar and director Sanjay Jha's Praan Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaaye.

A second coming is not all that alien to Bollywood. Marquee queen Sridevi was written off after her Hindi debut in Solwa Saawan until her second attempt to conquer Bollywood five years later in Himmatwala.