Few new faces, but how they dazzled in Bollywood (Flashback 2009)

Mumbai, Dec 17 (IANS) Fresh faces failed to make a smashing debut in Bollywood this year. But actors like Mahie Gill, Kalki Koechlin, Giselle Monteiro and Shurti Haasan did stand out. Here are 10 newcomers who made a mark:

Mahie Gill: She may well hold the record for being a debutante with the most number of releases in a single year. First, she managed to catch everyone's attention as the new age Paro in 'Dev D', a modern-day take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel 'Devdas'. Later, she impressed in Anurag Kashyap's next film 'Gulaal'. She is a complete natural and one would love to see more of her. She also featured in the duds 'Aagey Se Right' and 'Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas'.

Kalki Koechlin: Born to French parents Kalki as a modern day Chandramukhi showed how to get the sensuality in place in 'Dev D'. Good acting skills did not harm her cause.

Giselle Monteiro: She was the hidden treasure for the entire team of 'Love Aaj Kal'. With her identity being unveiled only after the release of the film, she made countrywide news once it was declared that she was a Brazilian in the garb of a Punjabi 'soni kudi'.

Chandan Roy Sanyal: Pretty much following the route that was laid out for Prateik Babbar when he made his quiet 'supporting actor' debut with 'Jaane Tu Ya... Jaane Naa', Chandan was hardly in the news until the release of 'Kaminey'. He was truly discovered when he played his part of Mikhail to perfection in the dark crime thriller.

Jaccky Bhagnani: Even though 'Kal Kissne Dekha' didn't work, Jackky did deliver. Quite confident in front of the camera, he neither overplays nor underplays his part. Though a better script would have helped, 'Kal Kissne Dekha' did act as a show reel for young Bhagnani.

Sheena Shahabadi: For Sheena, what worked most was the author-backed role that she got in 'Tere Sang'. Playing a 15-year-old who was looking at exploring life to the fullest, she was easily the star of the show and came up with a bravura act that made 'Tere Sang' believable.

Sohum Shah: The film 'Baabarr' went largely unnoticed, but debutant Sohum Shah stood tall as he impressed most with his dialogue delivery. He is bound to be noticed in a big way from here on, though it would be interesting to see how he looks clean shaven.

Shruti Haasan: If there was one quintessential Bollywood material that arrived in 2009, it was Shruti Haasan. However, the really poor script of 'Luck' ruined the pretty girl's chances of starting off her Bollywood outing with a smash hit. She has the body, the looks and the attitude. All she needs now is another good opportunity on a decent enough platform.

Nausheen Ali Sardar: In a small film, 'Three - Love, Lies, Betrayal', which unfortunately went totally unnoticed, Nausheen made a good switch from TV ('Kkusum') to the big screen. Her role demanded her to look sad and worn out in every scene, but she didn't complain. However, she didn't miss a chance when she found a good stage to demonstrate histrionics, especially during the final moments of the film.

Jacqueline Fernandes: Jacqueline's task was pretty much cut out in 'Aladin'. She had to look good and this is where her Miss Sri Lanka crown came in handy. Moreover, she was indeed good in the couple of scenes where she was required to mouth dialogues in addition to just smiling. Just like Katrina Kaif who started off her career with her good looks and fair acting capabilities, Jacquline too has a future in Bollywood.

(Joginder Tuteja can be contacted at [email protected])

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