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One hit movie is enough to get you noticed, but it’s the movie that comes after that really defines an actor’s trajectory.
From action entertainers and horror comedies to period dramas and multilingual ventures, these young new stars are already building diverse filmographies. Here’s a look at the actors whose next few years are shaping up to be just as exciting as their breakthrough moments.
Ahaan Panday
Ahaan made a blockbuster debut with Saiyaara, instantly emerging as one of Bollywood’s most promising newcomers. He is now stepping into an untitled action romance directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and backed by Yash Raj Films, marking a sharp shift into the action genre, followed by another project that sees him reunited with his Saiyaara team Mohit Suri and Aneet Padda.
Nitanshi Goel
After winning hearts with Laapataa Ladies, Nitanshi is expanding her repertoire with the Telugu thriller Takshakudu, followed by an untitled horror comedy backed by Ektaa Kapoor, for which she has completed shooting. This movie will showcase a completely different side of her as an actor.
Shanaya Kapoor
Shanaya has quickly followed up her debut with JC (Jacob Cardoso), where she stars opposite Abhay Verma. The film adds another commercial entertainer to her growing body of work.
Aneet Padda
Following the success of Saiyaara, Aneet has lined up an impressive slate with Shakti Shalini in the Maddock Horror Comedy Universe, the streaming project Nyaya, and another untitled Mohit Suri film that reunites her with her Saiyaara co-star Ahaan Panday.
Shreya Sharma
Shreya continues to build momentum after her breakout performance in Mastii 4. She went on to work in music videos alongside Neil Nitin Mukesh in the song Tu Meri Aashiqui, Vivek Oberoi in Chori Chori and Pallo Latke from the film Jatadhara. Up next, she has two confirmed projects in the pipeline. She filmed a murder mystery thriller which sees her share screen-space with Vivek Oberoi and Nithya Menen.
Lakshya
Lakshya cemented his place as an action star with Kill, and then showed off his actings skills with The Ba***ds of Bollywood. He is all set to reprise his role as NSG commando Amrit Rathod in Kill 2. The sequel is among the most anticipated action films currently in development.
Abhay Verma
After a successful debut with Munjya, Abhay has one of the busiest slates among his contemporaries. He will next be seen in King, Laikey Laikaa, JC (Jacob Cardoso) and Dilkashi, which highlights his versatility.
These new-gen Bollywood actors are proof that they haven’t waited around to capitalize on their debut projects’ successes. Instead, they’ve chosen their next projects carefully. And they span action, romance, horror, thrillers, and regional cinema, proving that versatility has become the defining trait of the industry’s next crop of leading stars and they are all well on their way to shaping the future of Indian cinema.
