Hindustan Times (Patna) - Hindustan Times (Patna) - Live
THE NEW BACHCHA PARTY
Here’s a lowdown on the next set of star kids who are ready to step into Bollywood
It’s time Bollywood stars made a little space for young blood, as new star kids get ready for their big-ticket debuts. Actors Athiya Shetty, daughter of Suniel Shetty, and Sooraj Pancholi, son of actor Aditya Pancholi, have already created a lot of buzz with the trailer of their upcoming films. And, there are others waiting in the wings, too.
Athiya and Sooraj are thrilled about Nikhil Advani’s directorial, and being launched by none other than Salman Khan. “I’m super excited. I feel very happy that so far, we (Sooraj and she) have been accepted,” says Athiya, 22. Sooraj, 25, did not keep himself from shedding a happy tear at the launch of his movie trailer, and said, “This is a dream launch. I don’t think it could’ve gotten better than this.”
Shriya Pilgaonkar, daughter of popular Marathi actor Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar, is making no ordinary debut — she’s starring alongside Shah Rukh Khan in filmmaker Maneesh Sharma’s Fan.
Actor Anil Kapoor’s son Harshvardhan is another star kid who is ready to roll. The 24-year-old is being launched by director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Currently being shot in Ladakh, the film will also see a cameo by his sister, actor Sonam Kapoor. Then, the third generation of the Deol family is ready to join in. Sunny Deol’s elder son Karan will be directed by his father in a home production. Add to that the buzz about Sridevi’s daughter, Jhanvi, 18, and filmmaker JP Dutta’s daughter, Nidhi, 26, hopping onto the bandwagon. The latter will reportedly be launched in daddy’s next.
But does the popularity of parents help the kids succeed, and make them more bankable? Film critic Omar Qureshi says, “There is no guarantee that if your father and mother are superstars, you, too, would get the same fan loyalty. Initially, they can push you forward but then it’s all about how you perform. Even Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan had to prove their talent. It just gives them the initial platform,” he says.