Then Vs Now: Bollywood Child artists who went on to become established actors

Child Artists choosing acting as their profession as they grow up is not a rare option. While most of them are star kids, there are plenty of child actors who became a part of memorable films despite a non-film background and then returned to make this their chosen path of career. While superstars like Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kamal Haasan and Urmila Matondkar are today bonafide stars with exemplary filmography to their names, names like Sana Saeed, Jibraan Khan, Siddharth Nigam who are finding their footing in the film industry though they are massively loved and remembered for their performances in films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham respectively. On the occasion of Children’s Day, here’s a glance through how these stars looked when they first faced the camera compared to how they look in their latest film, all grown up and ready to carve their niche in the film industry. It’s an interesting journey through a timeline of changing faces and is sure to bring back a lot of memories for all the movie buffs out there who have grown up watching these films.

Have a look at the list here:

Alia Bhatt

Alia is a true-blue star today. With versatile films like Highway, Dear Zindagi, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Brahmastra and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani to name a few, she has established herself as one of the most bankable actresses of this generation. The actress first faced the camera at the age of 6 in the film Sangharsh where she played the younger version of Preity Zinta. Little did people know how she would take over the world of cinema. While this year has been about winning accolades for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi, her latest was a typical Bollywood mass entertainer titled Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Here’s how she looked in Sangharsh and now in her latest release.

Hrithik Roshan

Director J Om. Prakash made his grandson Hrithik Roshan face the camera at the tender age of 6 in the film Aasha released in 1980. In the song Jaane Hum Sadak Ke Logon Se, Hrithik was apparently on the set when he instantly started dancing to the song when it was played as he loved it. That’s how he became a part of it and then there was no turning back. He sure looked cute back then but today he’s known by the title Greek God. His last film was Vikram Vedha and he has Fighter coming up in January. Here’s how he looked in his first film as a child actor vs his last outing on screen.

Shahid Kapoor

hahid Kapoor was just 11 years old when he faced the camera for a TV commercial that was about a healthy drink. The young boy had star quality in him back then which culminated in him becoming a superstar of this generation. He appeared in other commercials and then finally made his debut in 2003 in Ishq Vishq. Today his diversity is reflected in his choice of films ranging from Haider to Jab We Met to Padmaavat to Jersey to his latest – Bloody Daddy. Here’s how he looked in his first TV commercial to his get-up in his latest release.

Aamir Khan

Aamir faced the camera for the first time in 1973 in the film Yaadon Ki Baaraat. The film was made by his uncle Nasir Hussain, and Aamir started his journey at the mere age of eight when he became a part of the film. He was cast as the younger version of the character Madhosh which was essayed by Mahendra Sandhu. His last release was the much-anticipated Laal Singh Chaddha in August 2022 and he made a small cameo in Salaam Venky in December. Here’s the difference in how he looked back as he stepped in front of the camera and his last release.

Sana Saeed

The uber-cute Sana Saeed in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai who played Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji’s daughter Anjali won millions of hearts. Her effortless portrayal and easy presence in front of the camera drove her back to this world as she debuted in Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year in 2012. Since then she has done a couple of reality shows but fans are still awaiting a true blue big-screen experience. Here’s her adorable get-up as Anjali compared to how she looked in her first feature film as a parallel actor.

Siddharth Nigam

TV Commercials have opened up doors for child artistes big time and an example of grand success is Siddharth Nigam. He was first seen as a child artist in a health drink advertisement post in which he got a call to be cast in Dhoom 3. Since then he has appeared in films like Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, his claim to fame was his television shows such as Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat and Aladdin: Naam Toh Suna Hoga. Here’s a look at how he looked in his first ever TV Ad and his last which was a Salman Khan film.

Malvika Raaj

Having played the younger version of Kareena Kapoor Khan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, a film that is thought to be one of the most memorable in Kareena’s filmography is indeed a feat. Very few people know that Malvika then went on to star in several Telugu films. She was about to star in Emraan Hashmi’s film Captain Nawab which was shelved. Her last release was in 2022, a thriller film titled Squad. She has and shall always remind us of her first performance on camera and with a film like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, comes responsibilities and fans are eagerly waiting for the same. Spot how the little girl has grown up from K3G to Squad.

While there are quite a few others who make this list, these names are the ones that the masses can easily place and draw a connection to. On Children’s Day, here’s a trip down memory lane as we connect the past to the present.