Kartik Aaryan, Rana Daggubati, Parineeti Chopra: Debutantes From 2011 Who Complete A Decade In Bollywood This Year
As Kartik Aaryan and Divyenndu complete 10 years in the industry today with Pyaar Ka Punchnama, here’s a look at the Hindi film debutantes from 2011 and where are they now
Luv Ranjan’s Pyaar Ka Punchnama (PKP) completes 10 years to its theatrical release today. The buddy comedy from 2011 emerged as a surprise hit at the box office, a rare feat for any film that was featuring six newcomers, that too with no one belonging to a film background. The success of the film prodded a sequel and gave rise to the careers of three actors, Kartik Aaryan, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Divyenndu, who went on to make a name and niche for themselves within the industry.
Just like them, 2011 saw many newcomers who went on to make a recognisable career in Bollywood. Here’s a look at those talents and where are they now:
Kartik Aaryan
After PKP, Kartik became a poster boy for the films where the woman was the root of all problems. It took him a while to get out of that mould but it was in 2018 when the fate kind of smiled on him. With the success of Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, the actor finally entered the big leagues. He went on to cement his position with two more back-to-back successes with Lukka Chuppi and Pati Patni Aur Woh. Today, he is one of the most sought-after actors within the industry with multiple big projects in hand including Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Dhamaka.
Divyenndu
Another debutante form PKP, Divyenndu took a route out of the Luv Ranjan camp. He tried his hand at comedy with Chashme Baddoor and commercial success followed him with Akshay Kumar’s Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, where he played Akshay’s brother. However, the turning point in Divyenndu’s career came with the Amazon Prime Video’s crime show Mirzapur. The actor played the spoilt brat and local goon, Munna Bhaiya in the show that has spanned over two seasons now, and has become one of the most loved villains in the Indian film and TV industry.
Rana Daggubati
He had already made his debut down South where he was a legacy child, with his father being a big producer down there. But in 2011, Rana entered Hindi films with Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum. The actor became an instant crush of the nation and over the years became one of the few actors who are able to maintain a balanced career across two languages. Last year, Rana got married to Miheeka Bajaj and on professional front, he has his multilingual film, Haathi Mere Saathi, waiting for a release.
Parineeti Chopra
In 2011, she was welcomed as Priyanka Chopra’s cousin, but with her first film, Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, Parineeti blew everyone’s mind off. Even after being a supporting character in a film that had four actresses, she outshined them all and followed it with another success a few months later in Ishaqzaade. She had a tough phase also in between when she went off screen for three years but she returned with a fitter physique and a positive attitude. Recently, Parineeti got on a professional roll as she had three releases within a month amidst the pandemic with the Girl On The Train, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and Saina, releasing one after the other. Now, up next she has Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal opposite Ranbir Kapoor.
Nargis Fakhri
Nargis’ debut was a long-awaited one since before her it was Diana Penty who was supposed to do her role in Ranbir Kapoor’s breakout film Rockstar,a nd everyone was curious to see her. The actress followed it with a critically acclaimed film Madras Café and then went on to be a part of several commercially successful films like Housefull 3 and Main Tera Hero. But lately she has been taking her career at a slow pace. Her last release was Torbaaz on Netflix last year.
Saqib Saleem
Saqib started his career under the guidance of Yash Raj Films’ new branch Y Films that dealt with more youthful projects. His debut film, Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, had four debutantes but it was Saqib that caught everyone’s eye. He followed it with the sleeper hit comedy Mere Dad Ki Maruti and went on to do several diverse films, including the remake of Oculus, with his siter Huma Qureshi. Presently, Saqib is awaiting the release of Kabir Khan’s ’83, based on the Indian cricket team’s victory at the 1983 Cricket World Cup, where he will be seen playing the part of Mohinder Amarnath.
Kajal Aggarwal
Already a big name down South, Kajal debuted in Hindi films with Rohit Shetty’s Singham opposite Ajay Devgn. Her infectious energy kind of connected with the audience, but in the 10 years since then, Kajal did only three more Hindi films, the lasts one being the March 2021 release Mumbai Saga opposite John Abraham. Kajal continued to work down South and be a prominent name in the Telugu and Tamil cinema and last year she got married to Gautam Kitchlu.
Image source: instagram/kartikaaryan,divyenndu,ranadaggubati,parineetichopra,nargisfakhri,saqibsaleem,kajalaggarwalofficial/SotboyEarchives
Image source: instagram/kartikaaryan,divyenndu,ranadaggubati,parineetichopra,nargisfakhri,saqibsaleem,kajalaggarwalofficial/SotboyEarchives
