Dazzling debuts, Bollywood style!

Success always tastes sweet. But when you enjoy it in your first venture itself, then it’s even  sweeter. And so it has been for these first-timers in Bollywood. Whether as a director, a singer or a writer, they have made their foray into different fields and emerged winners. While some of them have been associated with Bollywood in their own way and have just donned another mantle, for others, it is their first stint with the Hindi film industry. We present to you a few good men and women, for whom 2017 was a great year to make a debut...

AS DIRECTOR

KONKONA SEN SHARMA WITH A DEATH IN THE GUNJ:

Konkona has proved her mettle as an actress with Mr & Mrs Iyer, Page 3, Omkara, and Life in a Metro among others, so film buffs were looking forward to her donning the director’s hat. It was worth the wait! Set in the town of McCluskiegunj in 1979, A Death in the Gunj draws you in with its family secrets and characters that refuse to leave your mind long after you have encountered them on screen. Among other awards, this slice-of-life movie also won her the best director award at the New York Indian Film Festival. 

ADVAIT CHANDAN WITH SECRET SUPERSTAR:

The coming-of-age story of a teenage girl, who wants to become a singer despite her father’s disapproval, was handled with much adeptness by first-time director Advait Chandan. Aamir Khan’s former manager’s debut stint as filmmaker was not only critically acclaimed for its performances by Zaira Wasim, Aamir Khan, Meher Vij and Raj Arjun, it was also one of 2017’s most profitable films, earning approximately Rs 132 crore at the box office. Now, that’s what you call, a dream debut! 

AS AUTHOR

RISHI KAPOOR WITH KHULLAM KHULLA:

As outspoken as he is in real life, Rishi Kapoor’s autobiography, Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, too, was full of sharp observations and candid revelations about himself, his family, his fatherhood style and his career. We didn’t expect anything less from the lovable actor whose Twitter account is full of witticisms!

AS WRITER

HITESH KEVALYA FOR SHUBH MANGAL SAAVDHAAN:

The one thing Hitesh Kevalya is still asked by people who haven’t yet seen Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan is, ‘Can we watch this film with our parents?’ “I used to think that people generally ask if they can enjoy a movie with their kids!” he laughs. He believes that for this reason — for audiences to be able to watch a film on erectile dysfunction with their family — that his debut as a writer needs to be seen. To write on a subject as delicate as this and to make it a family entertainer must have been quite a challenge, but Hitesh says that he was really excited by the project. “With limitations, come creativity,” he believes. And if you don’t believe him, go watch the ‘limp biscuit’ scene in the film. Hitesh is now in the middle of writing yet another real story for Aanand L Rai’s production house. 

AS SINGER

AKHIL SACHDEVA WITH HUMSAFAR (BADRINATH KI DULHANIA):

Three years ago, Akhil wrote and composed Humsafar. The Delhi-based singer from the band Nasha had no inkling that the track would find its way to a film and be a huge hit with listeners. “I happened to make director Shashank Khaitan listen to the song. He loved it and told me he would include it in the film,” recalls Akhil, who recently received the Zee Cine Award 2018 for best singer for it. “I believe in my music, so I knew people would like my song, but I was not working towards getting awards,” he smiles. Akhil, who is primarily a singer and would love to lend his voice for other composers, is now geared up for his first big single that will be launched soon. 

AS AUTHOR AND RADIO JOCKEY

KARAN JOHAR:

As if there weren’t enough feathers in his multi-feathered cap already, filmmaker, TV host and actor, Karan Johar, added the tag of writer and RJ to the list as well this year. KJo’s autobiography An Unsuitable Boy got him positive reviews from critics who applauded it for its personal tone, and for baring his soul on topics like his sexuality, body-issues, his equation with Shah Rukh Khan and Aditya Chopra among others. In the latter half of the year, Karan turned radio jockey with the show Calling Karan, where he plays agony aunt to listeners who call in to seek relationship advice. Here, too, the man with the gift of the gab, tackles their problems and comes up with practical solutions. Guess his skills as a talk show host came in handy here.  

AS MUSIC COMPOSER

SHASHWAT SACHDEV WITH PHILLAURI:

While the Anushka Sharma production might not have struck a chord with the audience, its music certainly did, especially the songs Dum Dum and Sahiba. Shashwat Sachdev, the music composer from Jaipur, had told After Hrs in an earlier interview that he likes doing things in an unconventional manner. So, while he was told to keep the music as authentically Punjabi as possible, he used international musicians and did not use any Punjabi instruments at all. How’s that for thinking out of the box? 

AS ACTORS

ISHAAN WITH BEYOND THE CLOUDS:

Shahid Kapoor recently tagged his baby brother in a picture on social media, captioning it, ‘Starboy’. And that might not be very far from the truth. While Shahid’s younger brother has been in the news for being cast in Dhadak opposite another newbie, Janhvi, in the remake of Sairat, Ishaan has already made his foray into the world of acting with acclaimed director Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds. Not only that, he has also been felicitated with the best actor award for his performance at the International Bosphorous Film Festival held in Turkey. 

PARVATHY WITH QARIB QARIB SINGLLE:

When the Hindi film audience went to watch Qarib Qarib Singlle, most of them went for Irrfan Khan. When they stepped out of theatres, they had fallen in love with Parvathy as well. The South actress, who made her Bollywood debut with this movie, was a natural, and came across as a breath of fresh air, matching the talented actor step for step.