Bollywood actors and actresses to watch out for
Every year is about the people (and things) that make it fabulous. And so, in our year-end issue, we always look forward to who’s going to make it big next year. We ask a jury of experts to suggest names in Bollywood that will hit the jackpot.
Every year is about the people (and things) that make it fabulous. And so, in our year-end issue, we always look forward to who’s going to make it big next year. We ask a jury of experts in our favourite fields – films, music, sports, technology – to suggest names of people and products that will hit the jackpot.
| Parineeti Chopra | Alia Bhatt |
| "She is a natural drama queen" | "Everyone wants to love her" |
It was here that Maneesh Sharma, director of Band Baaja Baaraat, spotted Chopra and signed her for Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. |  She has the acting finesse of her mother, actress Soni Razdan and the fire of her dad Mahesh Bhatt. But in looks and temperament, Bhatt is nothing like either of them. As director-producer Karan Johar, (who also launched her in Bollywood) puts it, "Alia Bhatt is a star, naturally." Bhatt was still studying in junior college in Mumbai when Johar spotted her and signed her up for Student of the Year (SOTY). She created quite a flutter with her first film. Bhatt seemed to be a perfect fit for her character in SOTY: a cute, super-rich kid with loads of attitude. As director-producer Vikas Bahl says, "She is cute and sexy. Everyone wants to love her." Pundits are putting their money on her as the ‘hottest young thing’ in Bollywood. And with Imtiaz Ali’s Highway and Two States, produced by Karan Johar, to be released early next year, 2014 looks like a game-changing year for Bhatt. |
| Claim to fame Age: 26 Audience appeal: The fans love Chopra’s bindaas, vivacious, in-your-face lovable girl-next-door persona. Best performance: Ladies vs Ricky Bahl in 2011. She won all the Best Debut and Best Supporting Actress awards that year. Chopra’s next, Ishaqzaade, got her a special mention at the National Awards. | Claim to fame Age: 20 Audience appeal: Her fresh, innocent, Barbie-doll looks are an instant hit with the boys. Add to it oodles of chutzpah, sex appeal and glamour. Best performance: Bhatt won most of the Best Debut awards for her performance as the super-rich, classy but clueless Shanaya (her character) in Student Of The Year. |
Born and brought up in Ambala in Haryana, Chopra was studying to be an investment banker in England when the downturn hit and she returned to India. | Aditya Roy Kapur | Arjun Kapoor |
| "He’s a force to reckon with" | "A man among the boys" |
 With his cheeky wit, Kapur was a hit as a Channel [V] jockey. He made his debut in Bollywood in 2009 with Vipul Shah’s London Dreams, but couldn’t make much of an impact. Next, Kapur did bit roles in Action Replayy and Guzaarish, and got his first starring role in Aashiqui 2. This ‘sleeper hit’ brought Kapur to the forefront, thanks to his portrayal of a self-destructive, alcoholic singer. His next, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, made people start taking him seriously. These films also brought Kapur out of the shadow of his brothers, Disney UTV CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur and Delhi Belly actor Kunal Roy Kapur. Trade analyst Komal Nahta says that after Aashiqui 2 and Yeh Jawaani..., Kapur is a man to watch out for. His 2014 release, Fitoor, could make him a force to be reckoned with. |  He is the quintessential ‘baba’ of the film world, the son of producer Boney Kapoor and his deceased first wife. He grew up breathing and living films, but Kapoor never thought of getting in front of the camera with his 140-kg body until Salman Khan took him under his wing and got him to lose weight. Unlike many star sons, Kapoor didn’t wait for his father to launch him. He put up his pictures on Facebook and auditioned nearly five times before he was finally selected by Habib Faisal for his debut film Ishaqzaade in 2012. Kapoor metamorphosed from a big-city Mumbai lad to the rugged, rural vagabond Parma. The film marked the arrival of what Vikas Bahl calls "the man amongst the boys." With his next film Aurangzeb, where he played a stylish, bad boy, Kapoor reinforced his macho persona. With Two States and Gunday lined up next year, 2014 appears to be another hot year for the cool Ka poor. |
| Claim to fame Age: 28 Audience appeal: His super sensitive persona and eyes that speak volumes make girls go weak at the knees. Best performance: Critics and audiences first took serious note of Kapur for his performance in Guzaarish. With a stellar act in Aashiqui 2, he is hot property again. | Claim to fame Age: 28 Audience appeal: His uninhibited flamboyance on screen. Not a ‘hero-type’ looker, Kapoor, with his mischievous laugh and haughty attitude, fills the screen with his big presence. |
