We will introduce you to some such artists who debuted in Bollywood with a 'Master' or a 'Baby' prefix to their names. Popular personalities whom you know quite well, but faces that you perhaps might not be able to identify at first glance. That's because we are talking of some such actors who started quite young. Started as child artists!

Shashi Kapoor

“Mere paas maa hain” - we all remember Shashi Kapoor mouthing this legendary line from Deewaar. That was in 1975. But much before that - and by that we mean 30 years back, Shashi Kapoor had made his acting debut at a tender age of 6 in Jayant Desai's Tabdir (1945). He continued working as a child artist in many mythological films (that were a regular in those times) like Bhakta Dhruva, Bhakta Gopalbhaiya, Bhakta Bilwamangal and Veer Babruwahan.


But his most noted performances as a child actor are in films like Aag (1948) and Awara (1951) where he played the role of Raj Kapoor's younger counterpart. As a child he also worked in 'Prithvi Theatre' - his father's theatre group.

Rishi Kapoor

The tryst of child artists with Kapoor khandaan continues with Rishi Kapoor. In 1970 Raj Kapoor wanted an actor to play his younger version in Mera Naam Joker. Obviously he couldn't cast his regular young counterpart - Shashi Kapoor as he was an established lead actor by 70s. But there wasn't any reason to worry as acting ran in the blood of Kapoors.


So Raj Kapoor cast his second son Rishi Kapoor as the young Raj Kapoor in 'Mera Naam Joker' (1970). The 18-year-old Rishi was quite plump then but it perfectly fitted the character. In one of the funny scenes from the film, he even has his pants torn during a PT class due to being an overweight boy. Rishi had sufficient footage in the film as he featured in the entire first chapter of the episodic film.

But his USP in this film could have proved a setback to him when he would have made his debut in a leading role. So Rishi lost substantial weight and debuted as the young-and-energetic hero in 'Bobby' (1973).
song. Last but not the least; he also had a death sequence where he emoted well.

Neetu Singh

Next from the Kapoor clan is Neetu Singh. But when she started as an actress she wasn't a member of the Kapoor family. She wasn't called Neetu Singh either in her debut film. Neetu Singh made her debut as 'Baby Sonia' at the age of 10 in the Mala Sinha - Biswajeet starrer 'Do Kaliyaan' (1968).

A remake of the classic Hollywood film 'The Parent Trap', 'Do Kaliyaan' gave Baby Sonia the chance to play a double role in her first film itself. She got vast scope to display her acting abilities in the role of twin sisters of diverse

sensibilities - as Ganga and Jamuna. And if you though this was an itsy-bitsy child artist cameo; NO she was the title actor of the film. You have to see her melt your heart with her warm performance. After 'Do Kaliyaan', she continued as a child artist in films like Waris (1969) and Pavitra Paapi (1970) until she made her debut as an elder actress in Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973).

Sridevi

Sridevi needs no introduction. But films where she featured as a child artist do.

This superstar of the 80s started as a child artist when she was just '4' years old. She appeared in a string of Tamil and Telugu films and in most of them she played mythological characters.

In 1979, she got her first break in Hindi cinema with 'Solvan Saawan'

which was a remake of her 1977 Tamil film 'Pathinaru Vayathinile' Rajnikanth and Rakesh Roshan in many scenes.

Sanjay Dutt

Yes, our very own Munnabhai faced the camera for the first time when he was just 12 years old. Sanjay Dutt was an item boy back then.

In his father Sunil Dutt's film Reshma Aur Shera (1971), Sanjay Dutt danced in a qawalli song. And even as a child, his dance steps had the trademark Sanjay Dutt impact. Now you know he isn't called Sanju 'baba' for no reason.

Aamir Khan

Ok, we all know by now that Aamir Khan appeared as a child artist in Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973). He looked cute in the 2-minute appearance in the title song where he raises his little finger to indicate nature's call. The film was directed by his uncle Nasir Hussain and Aamir played the younger role of Tariq, who again was his uncle.

But how many know that as a child artist, Aamir has also worked in a film called Madhosh (1974)? Two decades later, his brother Faisal Khan debuted in a film by the same name.

Some more interesting trivia! Which is Aamir's debut film as a grown up actor? No, it wasn't Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), as is the popular belief. He made his debut in Ketan Mehta's Holi (1984) which co-starred his Lagaan director Ashutosh Gowariker. So Mangal Pandey wasn't his first film with Ketan Mehta.

Bobby Deol

Now this might come as a surprise. Do you ever remember seeing Bobby Deol as a child actor in any film? Well, that's because he just had a 10-second appearance in Manmohan Desai's Dharam Veer (1977) where he played a young Dharamendra. In the same gladiator costume that Dharamendra subsequently dons throughout Dharam Veer, Bobby looks enormously endearing while breaking a stone with a hammer in Dharam's introductory scene.

Urmila Matondkar

Many people mistake Urmila's debut as a child artist to be Shekhar Kapur's Masoom (1983). It actually was Shyam Benegal's Kalyug (1980). Interestingly in her debut film, Urmila didn't play a girl but a boy. She played the son of Raj Babbar and Rekha and was named 'Parikshit'.

In Masoom she became a popular face as the eldest of the kiddo trio. Her song 'Lakdi Ki Kathi' is still one of the most popular children songs. Jugal Hansraj (another popular child artist) who played her kid brother in Masoom,

was subsequently paired opposite Urmila in his male lead debut film 'Aa Gale Lag Jaa'. Nobody has a clue of the third sibling who was the cutest amongst all in Masoom.

In 1987 Urmila played Sunny Deol's younger sister in Dacait. More than a decade later she was paired opposite Sunny in his film Dillagi (1999).

So which was Urmila's debut film as the female lead? No, it wasn't Rangeela. It was N. Chandra's Narsimha (1991).

Aftab Shivdasani

He played the younger role of two of the best Indian actors - Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan. Aftab started with Mr. India (1987) (it also starred choreographer-director Ahmed Khan as a child artist). Subsequently he did many films like Shahenshah, ChaalBaaz, Awwal Number, C.I.D. and Insaniyat before making his grown up debut in Ram Gopal Varma's Mast.

Hrithik Roshan The craze of the nation was a born actor. As a 6-year-old, he made his debut in his father's film Aap Ke Deewane (1980) and his grandfather directed film Aasha (1980). But he got a big chunk of role in Bhagwan Dada (1986), which was again directed by his grandfather and starred his father in one of the lead roles. But he wasn't related to Rakesh Roshan in the film. On the contrary, he played the adopted son of Rajnikanth who played the title character.

Hrithik got a meaty role in 'Bhagwan Dada' where he shared screen space with Rajnikanth and Rakesh Roshan in many scenes. He also danced with Sridevi in a song. Last but not the least; he also had a death sequence where he emoted well.

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