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When a star kid begins their journey in the Hindi film industry, their career can go in two directions. Either they succeed with their talent and luck like Alia Bhatt did, or they fail. No matter where they end up, the starting line for most is the same— auditions. Today, let’s take a look at star kids who were rejected after auditioning for films at the beginning of their careers:
Ananya Panday
Chunky Panday’s daughter Ananya Panday is currently in the best phase of her career after her versatile performance in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023). She began her journey in Bollywood with Dharma Production’s Student of the Year 2 (2019), but the first film she auditioned for was Aladdin which released the same year. Her scene in the audition clip went well, but the makers also required the lead star to sing. Ananya admitted that she couldn’t sing and was rejected
Varun Dhawan
Much like Ananya, her senior ‘student’ Varun Dhawan got a dream debut in Bollywood with Karan Johar directorial Student of the Year (2012). But before he bagged this role, the actor decided to test his acting skills and gave auditions without revealing that he is filmmaker David Dhawan’s son. He used to audition under the alias of Rajesh or Ramesh. In an interview, Varun revealed that he had auditioned for Life of Pi (2012) and Dhobi Ghat (2010). He was rejected for these films but he did manage to get selected for an advertisement. Now that’s called self-made
Janhvi Kapoor
Sridevi and Boney Kapoor’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor is currently one of the busiest bees of Bollywood. The star kid, who began her acting career with Dhadak (2018), once revealed that she used to give auditions within Dharma Productions. She was also rejected for a film, which was being backed by KJo. At the moment Janhvi is gearing up for Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumarii, a Dharma rom com, with Varun
Shraddha Kapoor
Shakti Kapoor’s beautiful daughter Shraddha Kapoor is another popular star kid in Bollywood who has done some great work after making her debut with Teen Patti (2010). But before she bagged a role in Teen Patti, the actor had auditioned for a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. Calling it an ‘important’ project in an interview, Shraddha had shared how she worked day and night for her audition. But she sadly didn’t get the part and was heartbroken for days. Well, at the moment Shraddha is busy gearing up for the much-awaited Stree 2
Junaid Khan
The latest star kid on the list who began his journey in Bollywood this year is Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan. He left quite an impression on the audience with his versatile performance in Maharaj, based on the 1862 Maharaj Libel Case. But before his big debut, Junaid had auditioned for his father’s last release Laal Singh Chaddha (2022). In an interview, the star kid shared that Aamir was keen for him to be a part of the film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, but things did not work out. However, it was after watching this audition tape that Maharaj director Siddharth P Malhotra decided to cast Junaid
Despite being rejected in auditions at the beginning of their careers, these star kids have managed to make their place in the industry. That sure is inspiring, don’t you think?