Highlights
In Bollywood, dreams for many youngsters are to make a mark in this huge film industry as a hero or heroine like their parents. However, some opt to take an inconsequential route to attaining celebrity status by being an assistant director. This article sheds light on how eight of these Bollywood wannabes got their baptism of fire before making it to the silver screen. This fresh talent starting from Shanaya Kapoor up to Ibrahim Ali Khan are prepared to work hard for their destined places in the movie industry through studying the Technical aspects of movie production. As assistant directors they have gained a good deal of knowledge about the field and at the same time honed their talent for acting which finally led them into the acting line.
Shanaya Kapoor: AD to Lead Actor Category
Shanaya Kapoor, daughter of Sanjay and Maheep Kapoor, began her Bollywood journey as an assistant director on her cousin Janhvi Kapoor’s film “Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil girl is the unofficial title of the 2020 Indian biography of Nitasha Biswas based on the life of Captain Nikita. This experience was useful to her before she became an actress as it allowed her to understand the production of films. Even though she first advertised for the film titled “Bedhadak” was put on hiatus, Shanaya is currently gearing up for her maiden venture in the multilingual film “Vrushabha” opposite the southern superstar Mohanlal.
Arjun Kapoor
Arjun Kapoor who recently stepped into the world of acting with “Ishaqzaade” (2012) was initially working as an assistant director. He worked on two notable projects: the 2003’s ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and the 2007 multi-starrer ‘Salaam-e-Ishq’ directed by Nikhil Advani. This training proved to be very useful to Arjun about setting up his foundation in the filmmaking industry and also afforded him the opportunity to work with some of Bollywood’s top actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Ibrahim Ali Khan: Following a Family Tradition
Ibrahim Ali Khan, who is Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s son, is all set to make his acting debut in “Sarzameen,” a Karan Johar production, however before he could face the camera he worked as an assistant director in Karan Johar’s 2023 Rom-Com “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani.” Everything Ibrahim did on set was not shown on screen
Renee Sen: The Life Hunter
Unlike many other star kids who tend to get lavish Bollywood debuts like the singing and dancing launch, they will not do a big Bollywood launch and Sushmita Sen’s elder daughter Renee Sen followed the same path of a short film debut through “Suttabaazi” in the year 2021. Recently, she take an internship as an intern assistant director in the comedy movie of ‘Bad Newz’ which included Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri, Ammy Virk etc. The following encounter actually impressed Renee so much that she said she benefited from it as if she had gone to film school – or even more.
Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra:
They rise from being ADs to Student of the Year. While Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra were acting in ‘Student of the Year,’ directed by Karan Johar in 2012, it is pertinent to know that the former was painted as an assistant director while the latter worked as an AD on ‘Tarzan: The Wonder Car.’ They have contributed to Johar’s released and much acclaimed movie “My Name Is Khan ”in the year 2010 receding the star cast Shah Rukh Khan. It also gave them a good feel of the filmmaking process and exposure to key players in the industry.
Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor
The young stars, Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, both from the famous Indian movie clans, launched themselves in acting through Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s musical drama “Saawariya” in 2007. But their journey in Bollywood started two years before when they were associated in the capacity of the assistant directors in the challenging drama of Bhansali “Black” released in the year 2005. Notably, before joining acting, she wanted to be a director and writer, but acting got in between.
Future Sustainability of Bollywood for the Next Generation
It is for these reasons that experiencing the shift from being assistant directors to stars in front of the camera would definitely inform their acting and their knowledge of the theater and film. Their transition depicts key and noble values of effort, and the receiving of training or learning how to act for the big screen irrespective of birth origin in the film industry.
Some of the Bollywood’s young and upcoming classy actors are newly stationed actors who have not even entered the acting phase like Shanaya Kapoor and Ibrahim Ali Khan whereas there are other talented actors like Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor who have already spread their roots in the movie acting field. When they stand in the limelight, they are very likely to have a fresh outlook of the entire process due to their background experience.
