9 Bollywood Celebs Who Started As Child Artists
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What makes a movie a blockbuster? Is it the storyline or the actor/actress playing the protagonists? When most of us were busy sipping on some cold rasna watching cartoons, there were many incredibly talented actors out there who started of their career as child artistes. Remember Tare Zameen Par, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Iqbal? Do you think they hit the 100 crore club merely because of the presence of Salman Khan or Aamir Khan as the lead? Definitely not! It was the presence of the child artistes who grabbed every eyeball amongst the spectators. In fact, it’s their presence that made the film work for the superstars. We made a list of few of them, you will surely be pleasantly surprised as you continue to read on.
In This Article
1. Sridevi
We all know her as the first female superstar of India. What many do not know is that Sridevi started her acting career as early as a 4-year-old child. Her first screen appearance was in a Tamil movie Thunaivan in which she adorned the role of a young Muruga. She was recognized in this movie and went on to act in several regional movies as a child artiste, some of which even won her National awards. And it was only in 1975 that she debuted in Bollywood in the movie Julie and from then on there was no looking back for her. She continued to spread her wings and fly high in the movie industry.
2. Kunal Khemu
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If you thought that it was Golmaal series that made him popular as an actor, you’re wrong peeps! Kunal had achieved recognition for his acting in his childhood when most of us were figuring out how to play snake and ladder at home. Kunal appeared in a TV series called Gul Gulshan Gulfaam which was aired on Doordarshan. His Bollywood debut was in a Mahesh Bhatt film called Sir, with Naseeruddin Shah and Pooja Bhat. He went on to act in many other Bollywood movies as a child artiste like Raja Hindustani, Bhai, Hum Hai Rahi Pyaar ke, etc.
3. Sana Saeed
We all must have watched the movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai more than once in our lives. While some of us must have watched it as a big fan of Kajol, Shahrukh or Rani, there are many out there who watched the movie for Anjali, the child artiste who portrays the role of Shahrukh and Rani’s daughter in the movie. And Anjali was none other than Sana Saaed. She has acted in several other movies like Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Badal, Student Of The Year, etc. She even hosted a kids programs on Star Plus channel.
4. Imran Khan
As the nephew to the Mr. Perfectionist (Aamir Khan) of Bollywood, there wasn’t a way that Imran would have survived without being bitten by the Bollywood bug, right? He debuted as a child artiste in films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikander where he played the role of young Aamir in both of them.
5. Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik was only 6 years old when he faced the camera for the first time in life. He took part as an extra in a dance sequence in the movie Asha, after which he even played smaller roles in his father, Rakesh Roshan’s movies. Yet, he never chose to start off as a lead actor directly. He took charge as an assistant director for movie like Karan Arjun and Koyla. And only later did he debut as a main lead actor in the movie Kaho Na Pyaar Hai.
6. Aamir Khan
Yep, even this perfectionist was someone who started his acting career as a child artiste itself. Remember the incredibly cute boy in the movie Yaadon Ki Baarat? That cute little munchkin was none other than Aamir and he was just seven years old at that time.
7. Urmila Matondkar
She defines how a Bollywood diva needs to be, right? But this diva started off her career as an actor in Bollywood at the age of six sharing screen space with Shashi Kapoor and Rekha in the movie Kalyug. But it was only in Shekar Kapur’s movie time Masoom that she was recognised and she was still only 9 years old.
8. Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt, one of Bollywood’s favorite actresses started her acting career in the 1999 movie Sangharsh. The movie starred Preity Zinta and Akshay Kumar and Alia Bhatt played the childhood version of Preity’s character. Years later she was launched by KJo in Student Of The Year along with Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan and the rest is history. Even if she got the ticket to Bollywood because she’s a star kid, Alia won our hearts with sheer hard work and her excellent performances in movies like Highway and Udta Punjab.
9. Hansika Motwani
The beauty, Hansika Motwani worked as a child actor for quite a while before she made her debut in the film industry. She started her acting career with one of the most popular 90s kids’ TV show Shaka Laka Boom Boom and also acted in another TV serial Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand. She entered Bollywood as a child actor as one of the kids in the Hritik Roshan-starred Koi Mil Gaya. She made her debut as a lead actress in the Telugu movie Desamuduru after which she was cast in Himesh Reshammiya’s Aap Kaa Surroor.
You know the saying about how to have talent, one needs to be born gifted with it? We think it holds true for celebrities like these. Of course, it’s their sheer hard work that has made them all the reigning faces of the Bollywood industry. They’ve shown us that they can act; they can be professional right from when they were just toddlers. Do you know of any other actor who made it big in the industry right from childhood? Let us know in the comments below.
