Underdogs of Bollywood who shone with their performances

While the insider-outsider debate has been going on for a long time in Bollywood, nepotism is being slammed left-right and centre by Bollywood buffs. As we have been seeing, though many star kids are facing flak and having people demanding a ban on their films, there are some other new-gen superstars who are being welcomed with open arms by the audiences. 

What is surprising is that, when these actors aka outsiders made their foray into showbiz, not many relied on them. In fact, they were just seen as a few film wonders and not forces to reckon with. Then came a performance, in a simple film and tables turned. Stardom knocked at their door and from there, there has been no looking back for these talented souls of Bollywood. 

Ayushmann Khurrana

This man won hearts in the true sense with his craft, be it any or every performance of Ayushmann, the actor’s cute face and impeccable act were hard to ignore. When he did Vicky Donor, not many thought he will fly, but Ayushmann did and with flying colours. Giving great performances one after the other, be it in Bareilly Ki Barfi, Dream Girl, Andhadhun, Gulabo Sitabo, Ayushmann has emerged to be the ultimate superstar of the new-gen and now he will be seen playing a cross-functional athlete next in Abhishek Kapoor’s untitled film. 

Siddhant Chaturvedi

Another cute face and twinkling eyes was our very loveable MC Sher from Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy who not only won hearts with his endearing performances but also attained instant stardom with his first film. Surprisingly, there has been so much love showered on Siddhant that the boy has become a star overnight. Next, he will be seen alongside Katrina Kaif in the film Phone Bhoot. 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is not conventionally good looking, but the man is the most handsome with his talent. Right from Gangs of Wasseypur, Nawazuddin has stunned with his performances, be it his negative roles or serious once, every act of his has been so convincing that it was hard to take our eyes of the actor. While he is considered as a gem of Indian cinema, he has also won many awards, including the national award. His performance in Scared Games has added to the actor’s stardom to a great extent. 

Kartik Aaryan

This simple boy from Gwalior came with dreams of making it big and though it took him some time, it was his famous monologues which made him resonate with the masses. But his career-changing performance was in Sou Ke Titu Ki Sweety which brought Kartik the stardom he is enjoying at present. Being the new blue-eyed boy on the Bollywood block, Kartik gave some amazing performances in Luka Chuppi and Pati Patni Aur Woh, which further escalated his stardom, putting him on the wish list of many directors. Now, we will see this new-gen superstar entertain us in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Dostana 2. 

Rajkummar Rao

Rajkummar Rao also made waves in the industry with his talent, not only did he redefine his craft with his cinema; he also made sure to deliver unforgettable performances. Though he took some time to make it big, his Kai Po Che brought him some attention, but it was Queen which became a turning point in Rajkummar’s career. After this, he went on to give some other amazing performances in Trapped, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Newton, Omerta, Judgemental Hai Kya. And it was also his act in Stree which further added to his fanbase, now the national award-winning actor has three films lined up, namely, Ludo, Roohi Afzana and Chhalaang. 

Their success stories have been truly inspiring and while people sing praises for them, they continue to prove their detractors wrong. 

Written by Nawaz Kochra (Entertainment Journalist, Mumbai)