Here is an interesting mix of filmmakers and actors to look out for as they unfold their magic on the big screen this year.

The onset of New Year gives rise to a surge of emotions — we have high hopes, we aspire different dreams and we aim to achieve new goals. When it comes to movies, we hope 2015 will bring greater films. We dream that small films and filmmakers will make it big and the goal is that more people touch, move and inspire us through cinema. So here is a round up of names that will debut on the silver screen with movies that we would definitely not give a miss.

Filmmakers

Vibhu Puri

He is an alumnus of Film And Television Institute of India and his student short film, Chabi Wali Pocket Watch, won him a Special Jury Award at the 53rd National Film Awards. He was the co-writer of Sawaariya and Guzaarish and an assistant director on a few films. Before his first feature film Hawaizaada starring Ayushmann Khurana, Vibhu was supposed to make Chenab Gandhi with Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan and Rajeev Khandelwal, which was eventually shelved. Apart from the filmmaker’s past merits, his attempt to recreate the journey of lesser-known Indian scientist Shikhar Bapuji Talpade who made the country’s first unmanned airplane, as a first feature film, has hooked us.

Vikramjit Singh

He is the writer and director of Roy, an intriguing love story, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez. Not much is known about Vikramjit except that he is an investment banker-turned filmmaker, who has been trying to make his first Hindi film for a few years. What also increases our curiosity is that Ranbir, who does a film only if the script appeals to him, agreed to be a part of the filmmaker’s debut project. Let us hope that our expectations are met with this one.

Karan Anshuman

A well-known name in the media world, Karan reviewed movies before becoming a filmmaker. He makes his writing and directorial debut with an explosive comedy Bangistan starring Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat, who play terrorists in the movie. Given the first-time writer-director’s experience dissecting good and bad movies, we expect he knows what it takes to keep the audience glued to their seats in cinema halls. So all eyes are on him to see if he manages to do a competent job as a filmmaker.

Stars from elsewhere

Mahira Khan

A popular actress in Pakistan, her show Humsafar, opposite Fawad Khan, made her a household name in her home country. Humsafar was also aired on Indian channels recently. Two reasons we look forward to the gorgeous beauty from the neighboring land — one, she will make an entry in Hindi films with Rahul Dholakia’s Raaes that features romance superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and two, since Mahira’s raw portrayal and natural performance had everyone hooked to her show, we are hoping that she continues to charm us with her performance in Raaes too.

Swastika Mukherjee

She is a well-known name in the Bengali film industry and has acted in several TV shows and films. Swastika’s first Hindi film will be Dibaker Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, co-starring Sushant Singh Rajput. Apart from having more than a decade’s experience of emoting in front of the camera, this Bong babe has acting in her blood. She is daughter of Bengali actor Santu Mukherjee.

Pooja Hegde

She is 2010’s Miss Universe India’s second runner-up who started acting in movies down South a few years after participating in the beauty pageant. The model/beauty queen did a couple of films in Tamil and Telugu before she was spotted by Ashutosh Gowariker’s wife Sunita Gowariker. The filmmaker auditioned Pooja for his upcoming magnum opus Mohenjo-Daro, and was so impressed with the leggy lass’ performance that he casted her alongside Hrithik Roshan.

Famous surnames

Harshvardhan Kapoor

Son of superstar Anil Kapoor, Harshvardhan went to the US to study aspects of filmmaking such as scriptwriting and cinematography, and will now make his debut as an actor in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mirziya. The film stars another newcomer Saiyami Kher opposite him. Mirziya is a tragic love story based on a Punjabi folklore, Mirza Sahiban.

Saiyami Kher

No, she isn’t Kirron and Anupam Kher’s daughter or relative. She is the granddaughter of yesteryear’s actress Usha Kiran, niece of Tanvi Azmi and daughter of former model Adwait Kher and Miss India, Uttara Mhatre Kher. She plays the female protagonist in Mirziya opposite Harshvardhan Kapoor. Before getting into acting, she modeled and has strutted her gorgeous self in the famous Kingfisher calendar.

Athiya Shetty

Daughter of Mana and Sunil Shetty, we hear that the dusky babe, who studied at New York Film Academy, had caught many filmmakers’ attention. Director Nikhil Advani and producer Salman Khan will launch her in Hero — a remake of Subhash Ghai’s hit film with the same name. Athiya will be co-starring with Sooraj Pancholi in the remake.

Sooraj Pancholi

He is the son of Zarina Wahab and Aditya Pancholi. Sooraj started his Bollywood journey assisting on films such as Guzaarish and Ek Tha Tiger. The self – confessed fitness enthusiast will soon make his much – awaited acting debut with the remake of Subhash Ghai’s Hero, co-starring Athiya Shetty.

— Rachana Parekh 

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