With Thudakkam, the debut film of Mohanlal's daughter Vismaya Mohanlal, running successfully in theatres, a blueprint was revealed of how to market and pull off a high-profile launch for a star kid.
The Malayalam film's success as the highest-grossing opener for a female-led film in Kerala is proof of just how curious the audience is when it comes to a well-timed launch. This curiosity is the reason why producers and other market forces continue to justify this specifically Indian sub-genre of 'star kid launch' movies and their financial viability. The trend persists despite all the criticism against nepotism and favouritism and the near impossibility for outsiders to dream of such a launch in any movie industry.
The upcoming months will offer several such occasions, especially in Tamil with Superstar Vijay’s son Jason Sanjay debuting as director with Sigma. We will also soon see the debut of Tamil filmmaker Shankar’s son Arjith making his entry as a lead actor in Lover Boy. With these in mind, we look at some successful executed launches that made a star kid a household name, with just one film.
Here are 10 such moments from the last few years:
Sukriti Veni in Gandhi Tatha Chettu
Superstar director Sukumar’s daughter Sukriti Veni made her acting debut with a film that’s nothing like the big-budget commercial films her father was known for. Instead, she chose to start her career as an actor by playing a teenager in Gandhi Tatha Chettu, a sweetly told drama about a girl named Gandhi who protests to save a tree from getting chopped in the name of development. She holds the film together and is effortlessly charming as this protestor, convincing us to look forward to what she chooses to do next.
Yuva Rajkumar in Yuva
It might not go down in history as the most perfect launch vehicle, but Yuva, named after the star kid it aimed to launch, did generate a lot of buzz and put its lead actor on everyone’s radar. Yuva Rajkumar represents the third generation of Kannada cinema’s most formidable film family, hailing from the Rajkumar family, and he created impact with some fine action sequences in this film.
It also propped him up in the right manner when he moved on to his second film Ekka, which did even better in theatres. Just two films in and he’s already a fixture of the industry. An equally interesting entry was that of Sanchith Sanjeev, nephew of Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeep, with this year’s Mango Pachcha.
Panja Vaisshnav Tej in Uppena
In Telugu, the most notable launch vehicle of this decade has been Uppena with Panja Vaisshnav Tej. It’s an unusual choice for a debut, particularly for the film’s controversial climax, but it ticked all the right boxes for the actor who hails from a family of megastars such Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan. The film was a blockbuster and brought him thousands of fans for his soft portrayal of an everyday fisherman. The awards followed. Apart from winning the National Award for Best Telugu film, Uppena also brought Vaisshnav Tej the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – South.
Aditi Shankar in Viruman
Aditi Shankar, daughter of Tamil director Shankar, was launched in a Karthi film which was directed by Muthiah. It was by no means an easy launch, given the film’s rural setting. Not only did Aditi pull off the role with ease but she also managed to sing a hit song for the same film. The film did reasonably well at the box-office and she evolved organically into a regular fixture in Tamil movies, following it up with Sivakarthikeyan’s much-loved Maaveeran.
Dhruv Vikram in Adithya Varma
The drama surrounding the release of his debut Adithya Varma may have come with its share of negative publicity, owing to an earlier version of the film that was scrapped (Varmaa, directed by Bala, later released on streaming).
But when Adithya Varma finally released, there was no doubt about the acting potential and the arresting star presence of its lead Dhruv Vikram, son of Tamil superstar Vikram. For a newcomer, he looks unusually comfortable on-screen, and it’s a level of consistency he has kept up admirably, following it up with excellent performaas nces in both Karthik Subbaraj’s Mahaan as well last year’s superhit sports drama Bison.
Sara Arjun in Dhurandhar
Sara Arjun may have acted in several films as a child actor. But the daughter of character actor Raj Arjun couldn’t perhaps have dreamt of a bigger launch than the mega-successful Dhurandhar franchise. Playing the love interest of a complex spy, you see her performance evolve from a bratty girl-next-door with a comedic side to a wife and mother, unsure of her husband’s loyalty. Her assured reinvention made her an instant star across the country.
Aryan Khan, director of The Ba***ds of Bollywood
The only director on this list is Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. He dug deep to co-write and direct this insider account of what goes on behind the scenes in Bollywood and ended up making a mostly fun, humorous and somewhat insightful take on the movie business and the real people that make this world bearable. His wit and control over a barrage of characters really comes through, and it made for a solid show from an industry that was on the lookout for something edgy and energetic.
Vismaya Mohanlal in Thudakkam
In the cleverly-marketed Jude Anthany Joseph film Thudakkam, Vismaya, daughter of Malayalam megastar Mohanlal, makes an assured debut as simple, charming girl-next-door with a lethal secret. She literally gets to kick ass in the film and her training as a martial artiste went far in creating a promising first film that brims with potential.
What was equally exciting was the co-launch of Ashish Joe Anthony, son of the film’s producer Anthony Perumbavoor. He played the role of a psychotic villain perfectly and stood as a worthy opponent to Vismaya’s action chops. Their combined efforts resulted in the highest opening for a female-led movie in Malayalam and it’s on its way to becoming one of the biggest hits of the year.
Sai Abhayankkar, music composer for Balti/Dude
No recent star kid launch has created the sort of organic hype as it happened for music director Sai Abhayankkar. The son of singers Tippu and Harini made his debut with a Malayalam film titled Balti and he instantly became the highest-paid music director in the Malayalam industry. Both the songs and the BGM were well received but he followed this up with Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dude, a musical monster that continues to be spoken about for its insane virality. You may not personally love the songs from this film, but there’s no way for anyone to escape them. Such was the immediate impact of Abhayakkar’s debut year.
Ahaan Panday in Saiyaara
The jury is still out when it comes to terming Saiyaara’s Ahaan Panday a star kid, but one imagines certain privileges for growing up in the same family as Chunky and Ananya Panday. But the impact of his first film, directed by Mohit Suri, far outweighed any nepo badges. He was arresting as the broken lover boy, as he tries to keep a brave face to comfort his girlfriend suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s. Everything about his performance remained, ironically, unforgettable and the result was a box-office smash that became the highest-grossing Indian romance of all time.