New Delhi: A Bollywood debut is the ultimate test of nerves. The first film is still seen as a make-or-break for actors and directors, especially if they are being launched big. And no one wants to live with the one-film-wonder tag.
Critics and audiences alike can be unforgiving, especially in the era of social media supremacy. In 2025, only a few names managed to impress both and establish themselves as the next big thing.
Here are the top 5 Bollywood debuts of 2025.
1. Ahaan Panday
Ahaan Panday made his non-star ‘star’ debut with Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara. With almost zero PR hype and no interviews or appearances, the actor quietly entered the limelight, stealing hearts in his role as the struggling musician Krish Kapoor. Panday emerged as the Gen Z heartthrob of 2025, splitting the ‘nepo baby’ sea to make space for himself.
2. Aneet Padda
Aneet Padda had earlier starred in the web series, Big Girls Don’t Cry (2024). In the series, Padda played Roohi, a school student who is part of a girl gang. But it was Saiyaara that made her an overnight sensation as Vaani. Padda perfected herself into the and middle-class, girl-next-door mould.
Her soft-spoken character was the perfect foil to Panday’s aggressive Krish. Despite playing a muse, she got her own arc—evolving from an underconfident poet to penning down unforgettable lyrics for a star singer.
Also read: Virat Kohli to Glenn Maxwell—2025 was the year of big cricket retirements
3. Aryan Khan
Everyone expected Shah Rukh Khan’s son to be an actor—Bollywood’s Prince Khan. But Aryan Khan decided to take the directorial route, and his debut series, The Bads of Bollywood, smashed a streaming sixer for Netflix. The show had everyone in a chokehold for weeks, garnering massive viewership and unanimous praise.
4. Shazia Iqbal
Dhadak (2018), Shashank Khaitan’s Hindi remake of Marathi film Sairat (2016), was panned on its release for diluting powerful scenes from the original. Director Shazia Iqbal’s Dhadak 2, however, was course correction. A remake of the Mari Selvaraj film Pariyerum Perumal (2018), the film found praise among both critics and audiences. Unlike the original, Dhadak 2 explored the camouflaged nature of caste discrimination.
Also read: 5 most exciting tech innovations of 2025—CRISPR 3, fusion reactions, brain-computer link
5. Zahan Kapoor
One more from the Kapoor clan in Bollywood. Zahan Kapoor made an impressive streaming debut as the diminutive jailor in Black Warrant. In a world of crafty and hostile prisoners and brash co-workers, Kapoor brought Sunil’s character to life. He made it every bit resilient and principled, elevating the jailor’s character. His performance was a director’s dream in the drama that humanises Indian jails.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)