Female debuts of 2004 - 05

Every year Bollywood witnesses the entry of some new faces and talents. While some succeed in displaying their talents, the remaining lot just makes it till showcasing their pretty faces. Some have none. And like every year, 2004 too had a lineup of new actors and actresses or let's say wannabe stars of the glamour world. But alas this year the array of newcomers was not as proficient as compared to the recent past couple of years.

smoochUdita Goswami was Pooja Bhatt's latest find in her directorial debut Paap . This 20-year-old model-turned-actress displayed both her sensual looks and mature performance in her debut venture. The actress was recently in news for her smooch scene with (kissing expert) Emran Hashmi in her next film Zaher . Her other upcoming projects include Kisse Pyaar Karoon and Amar Joshi Shahid Ho Gaye .

Shalini Pal was a part of the all-new cast of Woh Tera Naam Tha and disappeared into anonymity with the film's failure.

Pakistani based and Canada settled actress Heena Tasleem made her debut opposite Sohail Khan in I ? Proud To Be An Indian, which did not help her much despite the fact that she was the only heroine in the film. Next, she will be seen in sizzling bedroom scenes in the film Fun ? Can Be Dangerous Sometimes .

Foreign-model Negar Khan (the girl who scratched her bum in the Chadti Jawani remix video) made her foray into Bollywood with item numbers in films like Rudraksh, Shaadi Ka Laddoo and Ab? Bas . And she was just restricted till item numbers in all her films, something in which she sizzles. This hot babe is presently in big demand for skin flicks and will be next seen in Hello Kaun Hai, Double Cross ? Ek Dhoka, Do Chehre and Bachelors .

Nobody may recollect an actress called Henna who debuted opposite Dino Morea in Insaaf ? The Justice . The film Love in Nepal introduced 3 new faces on the Bollywood screen. The first one was Nepali actress Jharana Bajracharya who also happens to be Nepal's first contestant taking part in Miss World when she was just 16. Second was Fllora Saini who played the female lead of the film. And the last one was popular television actress Sweta Keswani who later also featured in an item number in Tauba Tauba .

Dusky damsel Meghna Naidu who featured as the sizzling babe in the Kaliyon Ka Chaman music video and after that turned down south, debuted as the adulteress in Hawas and even performed an item number in AK-47 . She is another sexy-siren who is in big demand for skin flicks and will be soon seen in a string of films, which include Jackpot, Bekraar, Ishq Deewana, Junoon and Classic ? Dance of Love .

Model-turned-actress Cleo Issacs made a miserable debut with Woh . Divya Desai and Sheen went completely unnoticed in Yeh Lamhe Judaai Ke and Sheen respectively. Pooja Kanwal fell into the Bhagyashree mould with her debut in the saccharine-sweet Rajshri film Uff Kya Jaddoo Mohobbat Hai .

The south beauty Shreya Sharan made a bad debut with Thoda Tum Badlo Thoda Hum and even her second film Shukriya couldn't help her. Ayesha Takia was one of the most confident debuts of the year. Though Taarzan ? The Wonder Car couldn't explore her acting talents from tip to toe, she was the most impressive actress among the femme fatale of Dil Maange More . Socha Nahi Tha should reveal more of her performance prowess. Hollywood actress Sophie Dahl made her Bollywood debut with King of Bollywood .

More models who made their debuts as Bollywood actresses include Gauhar Khan (an item number in Aan ), Jesse Randhawa ( Chot ), Bhumika Puri ( Kis Kiss Ko ) and Rashmi Nigam ( Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao ). All dismal! Tejaswini Kolhapure , sister of actress Padmini Kolhapure, finally made her debut with Stop as the much-delayed Paanch failed to see the light of the day even this year.

Bengali actress Mona Lisa was overshadowed by Payal Rohatgi in her Hindi debut Tauba Tauba . However she still managed to bag a sleazy flick Bobby ? Love and Lust . Nisha Harale played the other woman in Ab? Bas and will be next seen in Hello Kaun Hai . Popular television actress Tina Parakh (Shruti of Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki fame) made her big screen debut with a less-known film Satya Bol but came up with a splendid performance.

Manjiri Phadnis was convincing in the campus caper Rok Sako To Rok Lo while Aparna Kumar exuded oomph as the vamp in the film. Model Gayatri Joshi who earlier starred with Shahrukh Khan in the Santro commercial even made her debut with SRK in Swades . Delhi dame Divya Khosla who has to her credit Reliance and Dermicool commercials, a music video with Salman Khan (remember the Honey Honey track) and some films down south, started in Bollywood with Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo . And the buzz is that her first film might perhaps be her last film as the gorgeous girl has got engaged to Bhushan Kumar, the owner of the T-Series music company and may quit films post-marriage.

The last debut of 2004 comes in the form of Soha Ali Khan , daughter of yesteryear actress Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and sister of Saif Ali Khan. Soha has already acted in a Bengali film and makes her Hindi film debut with Dil Maange More . This Sharmila Tagore clone will be next seen in Rituparno Ghosh's Antar Mahal and Vashu Bhagnani's Shaadi No.1

• Antonia Bernath: Subhash Ghai introduces this British beauty in Kisna . She plays a British girl Katherine in the film whom our desi warrior poet (Vivek Oberoi) falls in love with. Bernath was studying drama at Bristol's Old Vic Theatre School and opted out when her agent asked her to audition for  Kisna and luckily she bagged the role.

• Isha Shravani: She is Ghai's second discovery in Kisna . Sharvani is an accomplished classical dancer from Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) and the daughter of renowned dancer Daksha Sheth.

• Vidya Balan: Model-turned-actress Vidya Balan will make her big screen debut with this Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parineeta to be directed by Pradeer Sarkar. Balan plays the title role of Parineeta in the film. She has been a popular face in several commercials on the small screen.

• Sneha Ullal: She is paired opposite Khan brothers in her first two films. In Lucky ? No Time For Love she plays Salman Khan's love interest and in Aryan she is cast opposite Sohail Khan. Let's see which film turns out to be her debut vehicle.

• Soniya Jehan: Grand-daughter of famous Pakistani singer and actress Noor Jehan, this gorgeous beauty makes her debut as Mumtaz Mahal in Akbar Khan's much delayed film Taj Mahal .

• Nandana Sen: Daughter of Nobel Prize winner ? Dr Amartya Sen, Nandana has already worked in some crossover films. But her first mainstream Hindi cinema will be Bhansali's Black . Subsequently she will also be seen in RGV's My Wife's Murder (earlier titled Galti Se ).

• Sheetal Malhar: One of the most prolific fashion models, Malhar enters into Bollywood with Padam Kumar's Kabhi Bhi Kahi Bhi .

• Ayesha Kapoor: The youngest among them all, Ayesha is a 9-year-old who plays Rani Mukherjee's child version in Black . A born-talent, she reportedly has put in a magnificent performance in her physically handicapped role of a blind and deaf character.

• Deepal Shaw: Off lately item numbers have done wonders for new faces to get it to the big screen. Deepal Shah (now re-christened as Deepal Shaw) of Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar fame is the latest on this list and will be seen in Hriday Shetty's Daag ? Shades of Love .

• Illene Hamman: This Pooja Bhatt's discovery comes to tinsel town from Cape Town. From photography to modeling, Illene finally lands into Bollywood with Rog .

• Tanvi Verma: This ex-Miss Madhya Pradesh takes the bold (read easy) way of skin-n-sleaze to make her debut. She is all charged about her topless and rape scenes in her debut film Bold going the Mallika Sherawat way of coming out with lurid comments in the media.