17 Lead Actresses Who Had Three or More Releases In Their Debut Year
Posted On: 27 Sep 2021 | Last Updated : 12 Jul 2022 | Views : 1.2k
For any actor or actress, a debut year in Bollywood is like a stepping stone to success. Debut film and debut year are very crucial for any actor or actress, as they are mostly remembered for their first film. Where signing a movie is considered a big deal, some top Bollywood actresses got lucky by having multiple releases in their debut year. In this initial stage of their career, every film is important, and marks a turning point in their career and helps them grow in the industry. The film industry, being dynamic, does not promise success to anyone. Many travel to Mumbai with the dream to be a star, but do not get a break in any movie, however, there are some top Hindi movie actresses who had more than 2 releases in their debut year. Let’s check out these 17 leading actresses who had multiple releases in their debut year.
1. Jaya Bhaduri (1971) – Uphaar, Jai Jawan Jai Makan, Guddi
One of the most successful leading actresses of her time and wife of superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, is known for her natural style of acting. She started her acting career in Bollywood with Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s commercially successful family drama Guddi in 1971 alongside Dharmendra and Utpal Dutt. Her role in the movie earned her Filmfare Award for Best Actress and created the girl-next-door image for her. Her debut movie made her an overnight star, and in the same year, she appeared in movies of big banners including, Tarachand Barjatya’s Uphaar alongside Swaroop Dutta and Vishram Bedekar’s Jai Jawan Jai Makan alongside Anil Dhawan.
2. Zeenat Aman (1971) – Hungama, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Hulchul
One of the boldest and most influential actresses of Indian cinema, Zeenat Aman, has appeared in numerous films and has been active in Bollywood since the 1970s. She made her screen debut in Bollywood with O. P. Ralhan’s comedy-thriller Hulchul in 1971 alongside Prem Chopra, Helen, Madan Puri, and Kabir Bedi. In the same year, she appeared in a comedy drama Hungama, alongside superstars Vinod Khanna and Kishore Kumar. It was followed by Dev Anand’s musical drama Hare Rama Hare Krishna, which became one of the most successful films of her career and earned her Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is most known for acting in Raj Kapoor’s romantic drama Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) alongside Shashi Kapoor. Her role in the movie, despite being controversial, earned her praises from critics and the audience.
3. Yogeeta Bali (1971) – Ganga Tera Pani Amrit, Memsaab, Mere Apne, Parde Ke Peechey, Parwana
Yogeeta Bali, wife of actor Mithun Chakraborty, was the leading actress of the 1970s and 1980s. She made her screen debut in Bollywood in 1971 with psychological thriller Parwana starring Amitabh Bachchan, Navin Nischol and Om Prakash in lead roles. In the same year she appeared in the multi-starrer Ganga Tera Pani Amrit starring Navin Nischol, Rehman, Ashok Kumar, Pran, Nirupa Roy and Shatrughan Sinha. It was followed by her lead roles in the movies like Atma Ram’s Memsaab alongside Vinod Khanna, Gulzar’s Mere Apne and K. Shankar’s Parde Ke Peechey alongside Vinod Mehra and Bindu.
4. Vidya Sinha (1974) – Hawas, Raja Kaka, Rajnigandha
Winner of the Miss Bombay title, Vidya Sinha, was one of the leading actresses of the 1970s and 1980s. This successful leading actress started her career in Bollywood with the 1974 film Raja Kaka alongside Kiran Kumar. In the same year, she had two more releases namely, Rajnigandha and Hawas. She appeared alongside Amol Palekar in Basu Chatterjee’s Rajnigandha which was based on a short story ‘Yahi Sach Hai’. It was followed by her supporting role in Sawan Kumar’s Hawas that starred Anil Dhawan, Neetu Singh, Bindu and Vinod Mehra.
5. Shabana Azmi (1974) – Parinay, Faslah, Ishk Ishk Ishk, Ankur
Daughter of an Indian poet, Kaifi Azmi and veteran stage actress, Shaukat Azmi, Shabana Azmi is known for appearing in critically acclaimed movies with serious content. She has appeared in over 100 movies and has acted in several foreign projects. She made her screen debut in Bollywood with Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974), alongside Ananth Nag. Her role in the movie earned her National Film Award for Best Actress. The success of her first film was followed by three more releases in the same year. She appeared in Khwaja Ahmad Abbas’s Faslah alongside Raman Khanna, which was followed by Dev Anand’s Ishk Ishk Ishk and Kantilal Rathod’s Parinay.
6. Sarika (1975) – Kaagaz Ki Nao, Vandana, Geet Gaata Chal, Khushboo
Mother of actresses Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan, Sarika is one of the most successful Indian actresses and Bollywood costume designers. Sarika started her acting career as a child artist and appeared in several Bollywood films like Hamraaz (1967), Aashirwad (1968), Beti (1969) and Chhoti Bahu (1971). In her acting career, she mostly appeared as a ‘westernized girl’ in the films because of her non-Indian looks. As an adult, she started her career in Bollywood with Narendra Suri’s Vandana (1975) starring Parikshit Sahni, Sadhana and Bindu. It was followed by her other releases in the same year namely, Kaagaz Ki Nao, Khushboo and Geet Gaata Chal.
7. Sulakshana Pandit (1975) – Raaja, Salaakhen, Sankalp, Uljhan
Sulakshana Pandit is a former Indian actress and a playback singer. She was a leading actress of the 1970s and 1980s and appeared alongside top Bollywood actors like Jeetendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Khanna, and Shatrughan Sinha. She made her screen debut in Bollywood with the 1975 suspense thriller Uljhan, opposite Sanjeev Kumar. She had multiple releases in her debut year, which includes Ramesh Saigal’s Sankalp, K. Shankar’s Raaja alongside Rishi Kapoor, and A. Salaam’s Salaakhen alongside Shashi Kapoor.
8. Rati Agnihotri (1981) – Ek Duuje Ke liye, Jeene Ki Arzoo, Sahhas
After establishing her career in the South Indian Film Industry, Rati Agnihotri tried her luck in Hindi cinema. She made her screen debut in Bollywood with Rajasekhar’s Jeene Ki Arzoo in 1981, starring Mithun Chakraborty and Rakesh Roshan. The success of her first Bollywood movie was followed by her other blockbusters in the same year. It includes - K. Balachander’s romantic tragedy Ek Duuje Ke Liye alongside Kamal Haasan and Ravikant Nagaich’s Sahhas alongside Mithun Chakraborty. With her back-to-back hits, Rati Agnihotri became one of the top Bollywood actresses of the 1980s.
9. Meenakshi Seshadri (1983) – Painter Babu, Do Gulaab, Hero
Meenakshi Seshadri, the former Bollywood actress and model, was a critically acclaimed actress who was acknowledged for her performances in movies like Shahenshah (1988), Ghayal (1990), Damini (1993), Ghatak (1996), and many more. She started her acting career in Bollywood as the leading lady in the romantic drama Painter Babu. In the same year, she appeared in a supporting role in Do Gulaab, but the movie performed below average at the box office and Meenakshi’s role was forgettable. However, in the same year, she acted in Subhash Ghai’s Jackie Shroff starrer blockbuster movie Hero which made her an overnight star.
10. Ekta (1990) – Awwal Number, Paap Ki Kamaee, Solah Satra
Wife of actor Mohnish Bahl, Ekta Sohni, or magnanimously known as Ekta, was a famous leading actress of the 1990s. She made her debut in Bollywood in Dev Anand’s sports action drama Awwal Number starring Dev Anand, Aamir Khan and Aditya Pancholi in lead roles. In the same year, she appeared in Munna Rizvi’s coming-of-age romance Solah Satra opposite Arbaaz Ali Khan, and multi-starrer action drama Paap Ki Kamaee starring Mithun Chakraborty, Sangeeta Bijlani, and Shilpa Shirodkar.
11. Sheeba (1991) – Pyaar Ka Saaya, Nachnewala Gaanewala, Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi
Sheeba, the wife of filmmaker Akashdeep who directed movies like Miss 420 (1998) and Ghaath (2000), was a leading actress in the 1990s. She made her debut in Bollywood as the female lead in Sunil Dutt’s Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi in 1991. In the same year, she appeared in two more movies that include – Babbar Subhash’s Nachnewala Gaanewala and Vinod Verma’s Pyaar Ka Saaya. There could have been one more release in 1991 namely, Baarish but it was released later in 1993.
12. Ayesha Jhulka (1991) – Kurbaan, Meet Mere Man Ke, Hai Meri Jaan
Ayesha Jhulka, the famous Bollywood leading actress of the 1990s, is known for her mesmerizing performances in blockbuster movies like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992), Dalaal (1993), Khiladi (1992), and many more. Ayesha is one of the few actors who tasted success at the start of her career. She started her acting career with a Telugu film Neti Siddhartha (1990). In the following year, she appeared in the Bollywood film Kurbaan alongside Salman Khan. In the same year, she had two more releases namely, Meet Mere Man Ke and Hai Meri Jaan.
13. Divya Bharti (1992)–Geet, Dil Aashna Hai, Dushman Zamana, Balwaan, Deewana, Jaan Se Pyara, Vishwatma
Divya Bharti was one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses of her time who was known for her acting versatility and beauty. She appeared in several blockbuster movies in her short career span of around two years in Bollywood. She started her Bollywood acting career with the 1992 action thriller Vishwatma alongside Sunny Deol. In the same year, she appeared in several Bollywood movies like Dil Ka Kya Kasoor, Shola Aur Shabnam, Jaan Se Pyaara, Deewana, Balwaan, Dushman Zamana, Geet, and Dil Aashna Hai. She was at the peak of her career when she met with an accident and died in 1993 at the young age of 19. She was then replaced by other actresses in most of her big Bollywood projects.
14. Suchitra Krishnamurthy (1994) – Vaade Iraade, Jazbaat, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa
Suchitra Krishnamurthy was a successful model in the early 1990s, who made her breakthrough in Bollywood with commercially successful and critically acclaimed Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa in 1994, alongside Shah Rukh Khan. The success of her first movie was followed by two more releases in the same year that include – Anant Balani’s Jazbaat and Kalpana Bhardwaj’s Vaade Iraade. She nearly gave up her acting career after her marriage to actor-director Shekhar Kapur, but made her comeback in Bollywood with the 2005 thriller film My Wife’s Murder, opposite Anil Kapoor.
15. Pooja Batra (1997) – Virasat, Vishwavidhaata, Bhai
Pooja Batra, winner of Femina Miss India International 1993 title, is a critically acclaimed theatre and film actress. She made her screen debut in Bollywood with Priyadarshan’s action drama Virasat in 1997. It was followed by her supporting role in Farogh Siddique’s Vishwavidhaatha, starring Jackie Shroff, Ayesha Jhulka and Sharad Kapoor, in the same year. Later that year, she appeared in the lead role in another hit movie Bhai alongside Suniel Shetty.
16. Namrata Shirodkar (1998) – Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, Mere Do Anmol Ratan, Hero Hindustani
Namrata Shirodkar, the elder sister of actress Shilpa Shirodkar, is the winner of the Miss India 1993 title. She appeared in a small role as a child artist in the 1997 film Shirdi Ke Sai Baba. As an adult, she got her breakthrough in Bollywood with a supporting role in the 1998 romantic musical drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, starring Salman Khan and Twinkle Khanna in lead roles. In the same year, she appeared as the leading lady in two movies, which were – Mere Do Anmol Ratan, alongside Arshad Warsi and Mukul Dev, and Hero Hindustani, alongside Arshad Warsi.
17. Esha Gupta (2012) – Jannat 2, Raaz 3: The Third Dimension, Chakravyuh
Esha Gupta, the Bollywood actress and model, has successfully established her career in Hindi films. She made her acting debut in Bollywood with the 2012 crime thriller film Jannat 2, alongside Emraan Hashmi. She received mixed reviews for her debut performance, where many praised her for her enchanting charm and compared her looks with actresses Lara Dutta and Isha Koppikar, some thought she was merely there for the glam quotient in the movie. However, the movie helped her to garner the attention of the audience. In the same year of her debut, she appeared in the commercially successful movie Raaz 3: The Third Dimension, alongside Emraan Hashmi, and then in director Prakash Jha’s political action drama Chakravyuh, alongside Abhay Deol and Arjun Rampal.
