10 Star Kids Who Played Their Father's Childhood Version In Movies
Posted On: 17 Mar 2025 | Last Updated : 17 Mar 2025 | Views : 214
Bollywood has a long history of star kids following in their parents’ footsteps, but some have taken it a step further by portraying their real-life fathers’ younger versions on screen. These performances add an emotional depth to films, making them even more special for audiences. It’s usually a noted child artist who brings into play the childhood role of the male lead, but the latter’s real-life son rarely plays his childhood role on screen, which results in creating a unique cinematic connection between generations. In this unique list, we explore 10 well-known star kids who played their fathers’ childhood versions in movies, proving that talent and legacy often run in the family.
1. Lucky Ali - Mehmood (Chhote Nawab – 1961)
Topping the list of actors who played younger versions of their parents in movies is Lucky Ali, Mehmood’s son, a.k.a. Maqsood Mehmood, who started his career as a child artist in Chhote Nawab (1961). In the movie Chhote Nawab (which also marked the debut of R.D. Burman as an independent music director), Lucky Ali played Mehmood’s childhood role. He later made his adult debut in the Sanjeev Kumar starrer Yehi Hai Zindagi (1977). He later became a singer-songwriter and composer.
2. Rishi Kapoor - Raj Kapoor (Mera Naam Joker – 1970)
Rishi Kapoor was another star kid who played his real-life father, Raj Kapoor's childhood role in Mera Naam Joker. Rishi Kapoor played the role of young Raju in the film, who is infatuated with his school teacher. Raj Kapoor later plays the role of grown-up Raju, who joins the circus to become a joker. Though the film bombed at the box office, it marked the acting debut of Rishi Kapoor, who later was launched by his father Raj Kapoor as the main lead in the 1973 blockbuster movie, Bobby.
3. Kunal Kapoor - Shashi Kapoor (Paap Aur Punya – 1974)
If you’ve been a Shashi Kapoor fan, then you ought to know that his eldest son, Kunal Kapoor, played the younger version of Ganga Singh (played by Shashi Kapoor) in the Prayag Raj directed action-crime thriller Paap Aur Punya. Kunal Kapoor’s role in the movie went unnoticed because it was a small one, but later, he did play a cameo in Shyam Benegal’s Junoon (1978) and the lead in Govind Nihalani’s Vijeta (1983) alongside his father, Shashi Kapoor.
4. Bobby Deol - Dharmendra (Dharam Veer – 1977)
Continuing with the list of star kids who played their real-life father's childhood in films is none other than our very own Bobby Deol, who played Dharmendra's childhood role in Manmohan Desai’s Dharam Veer. In the film, Dharmendra is separated from his mother at birth and is adopted by a blacksmith, who makes him a strong and brave man. Though it was just a five-second scene, Bobby Deol played a boy who hits an iron with a hammer before transforming into a fully grown Dharmendra.
5. Hrithik Roshan - Rakesh Roshan (Aap Ke Deewane – 1980)
Many may not know, but Hrithik Roshan also joins the list of Bollywood star kids who played their real-life father's childhood on screen. Hrithik Roshan, who was just six years old during the filming of the movie Aap Ke Deewane, appeared as the child version of the character Rahim played by his father, Rakesh Roshan. It was a blink-and-miss scene where he shared his tricycle with another child on a beach. The movie also co-starred Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munim. Hrithik Roshan later also appeared as a child artist in films such as Aas Paas (1981), Aasra Pyaar Da (1983), and Bhagwaan Dada (1986).
6. Sarfaraz Khan - Kader Khan (Shatranj – 1993)
Late actor-writer Kader Khan’s son, Sarfaraz Khan, had made his acting debut as a child artist by playing the younger version of his father’s character, Dharamraj, in Aziz Sajawal’s Shatranj (1993). Though Shatranj was a remake of Satyen Bose’s Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), it is mostly remembered as actress Divya Bharti’s last film after her death. Sarfaraz Khan later appeared as an adult in supporting roles in movies including Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, Tere Naam, Vaada, Kisaan, Wanted and Dabangg 3, etc.
7. Siddhanth Kapoor - Shakti Kapoor (Judwaa – 1997)
Shakti Kapoor’s son Siddhanth Kapoor made his acting debut as a child artist in David Dhawan’s Salman Khan-starrer Judwaa by playing the younger version of the character, Rangeela in the film. In Judwaa, Rangeela (played by Shakti Kapoor), who is Raja’s (played by Salman Khan) friend, grows up to help him in petty crimes. Siddhant Kapoor later went on to make his adult debut in Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala in 2013 and movies such as Jazbaa, Haseena, Paltan, Chehre, etc.
8. Aryan Khan - Shah Rukh Khan (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... - 2001)
Shah Rukh Khan’s eldest son Aryan Khan made his acting debut in Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…, where he played his father's younger version of Rahul, who later grows up to become young Rahul (played by Shah Rukh Khan). Aryan Khan, who appears in a couple of shots in monochrome as the eldest son of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan during the initial movie credits and title song of the film, is hard to miss.
9. Ibrahim Ali Khan - Saif Ali Khan (Tashan – 2008)
Not many know that Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim Ali Khan, who made his adult debut on the OTT-released rom-com Nadaaniyan in 2025, had in fact made his first big screen appearance in Yash Raj Films’ action-drama Tashan, where he played the childhood version of his father's character. Though it was a blink-and-a-miss appearance by Ibrahim Ali Khan in the film, but if you watch it again anytime, do pause the scene where Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, and Anil Kapoor are walking together in slow motion after escaping with loot.
10. Kayoze Irani - Boman Irani (The Legend Of Michael Mishra – 2016)
Boman Irani's son, Kayoze Irani, who made his acting debut in Karan Johar's Student Of The Year (2012), played the younger version of his father in the Arshad Warsi-starrer, The Legend Of Michael Mishra (2016). The younger version of the character he played in the film was known as 'Half Pant' while the grown-up version played by Boman Irani was known as 'Full Pant'. The father-son duo had also acted in Student Of The Year and Youngistaan but weren't related to one another in the film.
