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Check out the new talent of 2018.
Fresh ideas, fresh storytelling and fresh faces are key to Bollywood's lasting allure.
This year too many newcomers popped up on silver screen and endeavoured to leave an impression.
Some succeeded. Some did not.
Sukanya Verma picks the notable Bollywood debuts of 2018.
Radhika Madan, Pataakha
Vishal Bhardwaj's cranky sisters contest would lose half its edge if not for Radhika Madan's wholehearted participation in ill-humoured mischief. It's the sort of assured and brave lead performance that tells razor sharp from rookie.
Having watched her next, Mard Ko Dard Ko Nahi Hota (scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2019), at MAMI's 20th edition only reinforces my view.
Dulquer Salmaan, Karwaan
With over a couple of dozen movies in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu cinema to his credit, Dulquer Salmaan is one of the most experienced debuts on this list.
Nevertheless, it's so good to FINALLY see this incredibly discerning (AND dashing) actor grace a not-you-typical-Bollywood flick.
Sara Ali Khan, Kedarnath
Every now and then a star kid comes along and stuns us with his or her inborn talent. Sara Ali Khan in Kedarnath is one such instance.
Though the film itself is all kinds of dated, Sara exudes all the charm, charisma and comfortable star presence of a fresh blood.
Ishaan Khattar, Beyond the Clouds and Dhadak
A palpable eagerness and energy pulsates through Ishaan Khattar's being, whether he's conveying grimy conflicts or dancing his heart out.
If he picks his projects with care, his growth should be fascinating to watch.
Banita Sandhu, October
How to be a presence when you're in a coma for most part?
The sort of poetic life her passivity takes to inspire a lingering melancholy, one that imprints October even after the curtain's fallen owes much to Banita Sandhu's initial softness and ensuing vulnerability.
Zoya Hussain, Mukkabaaz
In her first Bollywood movie, Zoya Hussain plays a mute character but speaks volumes with her feisty zeal.
The uniqueness of Anurag Kashyap's star-crossed love story is all the better for Hussain's unflinching verve.
Mrunal Thakur, Love Sonia
At the centre of this dark tale of sex trafficking is a soul stirring, haunting delivery by newbie Mrunal Thakur.
Seeing how much she lends to its disturbing contents is proof alone of the promise she packs.
Pihu Sand, Fanney Khan
She's a plus-sized teenager nursing a starry-eyed dream of becoming a pop music sensation whilst grudging her cabbie father's inability to make them come true.
Pihu Sand humanises a deeply grouchy personality into someone worth listening to.
Secret Superstar this ain't, but the kid's got some spunk.
Janhvi Kapoor, Dhadak
There's plenty to dislike about the Sairaat remake. But if you single out Janhvi Kapoor's work, there's a relaxed, gentle quality about her.
Though as groomed and glossy as they come nowadays, it's this unflustered air that lends her distinction in a space of chatterbox energy.
