Here’s how the future turned out to be for these once-popular Indian child actors

Acting is a profession that has never set an age barrier. Over generations, we have seen actors of all age groups in cinema. It is however a delight to watch kids perform in movies. With their innocence and cuteness, they always manage to grab our attention. We have had some really mesmerizing child actors over the years. While they may have established themselves at a very young age, what happens to them while they grow up is highly circumstantial. Some give up on acting and prefer to stay away from the limelight while some try to return to acting as leads. In the second case, success has been highly unpredictable. Few kids could carry ahead their childhood stardom while some struggled to establish themselves once again. Here’s a look at some popular Indian child actors from different time frames and how their life turned out to be.

1.Hansika Motwani

Every 90s kid is sure to be a fan of the popular show “Shakalaka Boom Boom”. We all wanted a magic pencil that could bring drawings to life. Hansika Motwani, who is today a popular South Indian star also starred in this lovable show. Though she is still far away from Bollywood, she has created a mark for herself in the south. She has starred in some highly successful films and starred opposite famous actors. But statistics apart, Hansika never got to explore herself as an actor. We have seen her in repeated templates where she is mostly confined as the male lead’s chic love interest.

2. Shwetha Basu Prasad

Shwetha Basu Prasad was an extremely popular child actor in early 2000. She was seen in some critically acclaimed movies and shows. In each of those shows and movies, she delivered a performance that transcended our expectations from such a young child. Shwetha even went on to receive National Award for Best Child Actor in the year 2002 for the film Makdee. However, growing up, things did not seem all glam and glitter for her. Her major comeback started with the television serial Chandra Nandini. She acted in supporting roles after that and won critics’ appreciation for them. She had married filmmaker Rohit Mittal but they called it quits after a year.

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3. Kunal Khemu

Kunal Khemu is one of the most underrated actors in Indian cinema. Cinema has not been kind enough with him to bestow him with roles he actually deserves. Kunal started his film endeavors with the 1993 movie Sir though he had started off with Doordarshan’s Gul Gulshan Gulfaam. He went on to act in several Hindi movies and became a well-known face. As an adult, Kunal took a lot of time to find himself in a safe place. Most of his movies bombed at the box office. The Golmaal series is however an exception. Though not immensely popular, Kunal is lauded for his craft and is sure to get his hands on some amazing projects that will bring out the best in him.

4. Manjima Mohan

Manjima Mohan was a well-known face in the 90s. She had established herself as the most popular female child actor after appearing in several Malayalam films. One of the most memorable performances Manjima offered as a child is in Kunchako Boban starrer Priyam. She had even won Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Actor for the movie Madhura Nombara Kaatu. She came back to mainstream cinema as an adult through the film Vadakkan Selfie which starred Nivin Pauly. The film was a success and paved way the for offers from Tamil. She next starred in Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada. She is currently prominent in Tamil and Telugu cinema.

5. Kalidas Jayaram

Though he has only been part of two films while young, Kalidas Jayaram had earned himself a spot in the Malayalee audience’s heart. Both the films he did as a child were exceptionally good and he even won a National Award for the second one. He is the son of Malayalam actors Jayaram and Parvathy and maybe the starry background added on to his popularity. However, the comeback did not come across as an easy journey for Kalidas. He delivered back-to-back box office disasters and was on the verge of quitting the industry. And that’s when Paavai Kathaigal happened and Kalidas has been on a roll since then. His performance invited lots of appreciation and better acting opportunities.

6. Shalini & Shamili

The two sisters represent innocent faces of two consecutive time frames in Malayalam cinema. While elder one Shalini was a popular child actor in the 70s and early 80s, younger one Shamili took over her sister in the proceeding time frame. They have both been part of some really remarkable and cult classic cinema and won several accolades for the same. Growing up, things were entirely different for them. Shalini went on to become a leading actress in several hits but only for a brief period. She later got married to Tamil actor Ajith and has stayed away from the limelight since then. Shamili’s comeback as an adult did not bear any significant results and she quit pretty soon.

7. Kamal Hassan

Kamal Hassan, the name needs no introduction. He is indeed one of the greatest actors the country has ever known. Very few actually know that Kamal Hassan ventured into movies at a very young age. Thanks to his incomparable acting capabilities, Kamal had a successful film career as an adult and went to star in diverse and intense roles. Apart from movies, he is currently occupied with his newly formed political party Makkal Needhi Maiam.

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