Hindi film industry witnessed some promising starts by debutants in 2013

Going by our year-enders over the past few days, almost everything remotely associated with Bollywood saw a clinical dip. Well, not really. The industry did see a lot of encouraging positives. For instance, there were some actors who were able to make their presence felt in their very first film itself. They not only compelled us to take notice but also expect a lot from them in the near future. Whether they'll be able to deliver on those promises is a matter of time. As for now, HitList points out the few first-timers who impressed...

Dhanush

Debut film: Raanjhanaa
X-factor: Compared to the number of actresses from the South who annually switch to Bollywood, South Indians actors rarely move out of their comfortable terrain. Dhanush decided to be one of the few. Perhaps motivated by the unprecedented overkill of Kolaveri Di, he finally made his Hindi film entry in a movie set in Varanasi of all the places. In the end, his self-effacing character simply bowled us over with his inhibited charm.

Nimrat Kaur

Debut film: The Lunchbox
X-factor: She might be on the wrong side of 30 and if it weren't for The Lunchbox, we'd be remembering the youthful actress only for all the cute commercials she appeared in earlier. Even so, her mature work in the Ritesh Batra film forced critics as well as the audience to acknowledge the entry of a talent that neither belongs to a camp nor boasts of an industry godfather.

Sushant Singh Rajput

Debut film: Kai Po Che!
X-factor: That guy from the telly show Pavitra Rishta showed more than sparks of promise in his film debut. No wonder he's being currently poached by some of the biggest names in direction. Turns out the chiseled single dedicated man act worked in his favour. It'd be interesting to note whether he'd be able to translate expectations into reality in the not-so-distant future.

Amit Sadh

Debut film: Kai Po Che!
X-factor: In an interview with us, he confessed that he wants to forget that he was ever part of Bigg Boss! Guess what? So do we. All because of his eye-catching debut with meaningful performance in the friendship saga that proved screen adaptations can translate to success even if it has not-so-famous names attached to the project.

Siddhant Kapoor

Debut film: Shootout At Wadala
X-factor: Confident is the word for his gunslinging role in the crime drama he entered with. With the protagonists occupying a major portion of the screentime, he had a minuscule part to play. But he did considerable justice to the sharpshooter he essayed. It's no surprise that the light-eyed actor will be seen playing a pivotal part in an upcoming psychological thriller, early next year. There's definitely more to come.

Shadab Kamal

Debut film: BA Pass
X-factor: One of the most complicated onscreen characters in the calendar year certainly belonged to Shadab. The erotic noir shows a young man hopping from one unchartered circumstance to another, eventually shaping his end. Fortunately, the debutant actor conveyed every single phase effectively without getting overwhelmed by the burden of his role.

Neeraj Kabi

Debut film: Ship of Theseus
X-factor: 45 may not sound like the perfect age to make one's big screen debut. But then, Ship of Theseus wasn't your usual Bollywood fare and nor is Kabi your run-of-the-mill actor. The theatre personality finally made his film debut in the much-appreciated indie effort (buoyed by Bollywood personalities, of course) and delivered an unforgettable performance.

Manish Paul

Debut film: Mickey Virus
X-factor: Thanks to the spontaneity he brought to television as a reality show host, his decision to move to big screen made complete sense. However, the film he planned to make his entry with didn't have him spouting wisecracks. On the contrary, he played a lazy lost-in-his-own-world hacker in his debut.

Vaani Kapoor

Debut film: Shudd Desi Romance
X-factor: When you have the good-looking Sushant Singh Rajput and bubblier-than-bubbles Parineeti Chopra as your co-stars - and that too in your debut film - you're bound to have self-doubts about your film choice. However, this young actress ensured her work is pronounced enough and ended up carving a recognisable place for herself in the onscreen love triangle.

Rashi Khanna

Debut film: Madras Cafe
X-factor: The only regret her character would have is with her husband (played by John Abraham) because he regrets the brutal murder of an ex-prime minister more than hers in the climax. Otherwise, her minor role as the worried wife of a special agent sent to Sri Lanka on a mission was ably delivered. It'd be interesting to see Rashi in meatier roles with longer runtime.

Varun Sharma

Debut film: Fukrey
X-factor: Of the four boys featured in this sleeper hit, the one who looked completely out-of-shape was, in reality, the thinnest of all. Varun was asked to put on weight by the director and he unquestionably followed orders. To his good fortune, his flabby character left an impression that the actor playing him knows exactly where his craft lies.

Lukewarmers

Some of those Bollywood debutants who didn't really make a First impression...