Can you recognize these kids?

Can you recognize these kids?

These actors are ruling the silver screen with their acting prowess and style quotient today, but do you remember seeing them a few years back as child actors? They had the charm and acting flair even then, but with an added cuteness quotient. We bring you a few of these famous leading stars that started off as child actors.

Adinath Kothare:

Adinath made his big screen debut at the age of nine as the mischievous Aadi in 'Maza Chakula' (1994). Debuting in his father Mahesh Kothare’s directorial venture, he shared screen-space with bigwigs like Ashok Saraf, Laxmikant Berde and Nivedita Saraf among others. The spark of a promising career was quite visible in his portrayal of Aadi that fetched him many accolades. “I was naughty and mischievous as a kid and my father thought I was perfect for the role. Though I did the film only for fun, I ended up winning a state award and was nominated for the National Award for my role,” Adinath said.

Neha Pendse:

Known as one of the hottest actresses of Marathi cinema, Neha has wowed audiences with films like 'Premasathi Coming Suun' and 'Balkadu'. She was a very popular child actor in the 90s thanks to her Hindi TV serials such as 'Padosan', 'Hasratein' and 'Khushi'. Neha also worked in Hindi film 'Pyar Koi Khel Nahin' (1999) with Sunny Deol and Mahima Chaudhury. “A very shy kid initially, I did my first television show, Captain House, at the age of 10. But it was Hasratein that brought me popularity as a child actor. Starting off at a young age has helped me a lot in doing lead roles now in the Marathi and the South Indian film industry,” stated Neha.

Pushkar Jog:

Pushkar began his acting career at the age of five with the Marathi film 'Sakharpuda' (1990) when his dancing talent was spotted by director Annasaheb Deulgaonkar. The child actor then went on to do Hindi and Marathi films with bigwigs like Rishi Kapoor, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Dharmendra and Reema Lagoo. His notable films include 'Hum Dono '(1995) and 'Vazvu Ka' (1991) among others. Speaking about it, Pushkar said, “After doing eight films as a child, my parents wanted me to take a break and concentrate on my studies, so I took a seven-year break and completed my education. I am thankful for my childhood acting stint as it helped me a lot and gave me a chance to work with many veterans.”

Saksham Kulkarni:

12-year-old Saksham made a few popular appearances as a child actor in 'Pak Pak Pakak' (2005) and 'De Dhakka' (2008). Both the roles fetched him immense recognition and when the actor came forth as a grown up man in 'Kaksparsha' (2012), it took audiences quite some time to get acquainted to his new mature avatar. “It was a little difficult initially as after working as a child actor this was the first time that I was portraying a grown-up character and that too of a married man. I was unsure of how the audiences would react but they accepted my grown-up avatar very well. Having faced the camera as a child helped me understand the process of filmmaking,” he said.

Swarangi Marathe:

The 'Por Bazaar' actress starred in many television shows when she was just 6-7 years old. 'Aabhalmaya' (2000) followed by 'Vyakti Aani Valli' were the TV shows that brought her a lot of fame. Her other shows include 'Balgut', 'Tharar' and 'Reshimgaathi'. “As a child artist, I got an opportunity to work with Vidhu Vinod Chopra in 'Mission Kashmir'. Though childhood acting stints cannot assure you good work as an adult actor; they definitely help you to be a better artist,” she said.

Prajakta Mali:

A big name on the small screen, Prajakta made her big screen debut as a lead on a grand scale with Kedar Shinde’s 'Kho Kho' (2013). Her first stint on the silver screen happened when she was 15-years-old, in the movie 'Tandala' (2008), directed by Sanjay Surkar. Talking about her stint as a child actor, Prajakta said, “A friend informed me that Sanjay Surkar was looking for someone to play the younger version of lead actress Asawari Joshi. I bagged the role without even having to audition for it and was asked to report for shooting the very next morning.”

There are quite a few senior artists who too started their acting careers at a much younger age and are still remembered for their yesteryear’s innocent on-screen persona...

Pallavi Joshi:

Actor-producer Pallavi starred as an 8-year-old in her first Hindi film 'Badla' in 1974 and followed it up with 'Aadmi Sadak Ka' in 1977. A few years later, Pallavi’s portrayal of a visually challenged child in 'Dada' (1979) made the actress a known face. Post her stint as a child artist, the actress went on to do films like 'Trishagni' (1988), 'Rukmavati Ki Haveli' (1991) and 'Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda' (1992) before she moved to television.

Sachin Pilgaonkar:

Sachin, who is now a Marathi and Hindi film veteran actor has worked in more than 60 films as a child artist. In 1962, the actor made his Marathi film debut with 'Ha Maza Marg Ekala' that got him the National Award. As a child actor he went on to star in 'Majhli Didi' (1967) with Dharmendra and Meena Kumari, followed by many other successful Hindi films like Jewel Thief, Chanda Aur Bijli, 'Brahmachari' and 'Mela', before switching over to lead roles. Interestingly, Sachin has acted with Shammi Kapoor in 15 films, when both were child artists.

Swwapnil Joshi:

Swwapnil debuted as an adorable young Krishna in the mythological television show 'Uttar Ramayana' (1986) at the age of nine. The actor repeated his performance of the deity in yet another mythological series, 'Krishna' (1993). Following this people started recognizing him with his screen persona and his craze lived on much after the show ended.

Urmila Matondkar:

The versatile Urmila, who made her Marathi debut in 2013 with Sujay Dahake’s 'Ajoba', was also a popular child artist. Urmila debuted as a child actor at the age of three in Karm (1977) and also appeared in Shyam Benegal’s 'Kalyug' (1981). The actress’ natural performance as the innocent Rinki in 'Masoom' (1983) is one of the roles that she is most remembered for, as a child actor.