The year saw several fresh faces making their debut in the film industry. Some were star kids while others had already made a name for themselves on the small screen. From late actress Sridevi's daughter Janhvi Kapoor to television queen Mouni Roy, here's a look at some of the debutants who forayed into the film industry and showcased their acting talent:
Banita Sandhu
A UK citizen with Indian roots, Banita has been acting in advertisements since her childhood. The 20-year-old made her debut in 'October' opposite Varun Dhawan. Though she hardly had any dialogues, she didn't let that stop her from impressing everyone with her terrific screen presence.
Mouni Roy
A trained Kathak dancer, Mouni has been acting for a very long time. However, her film debut was opposite Akshay Kumar in sports drama 'Gold'. Even before the film hit the screens, Mouni bagged contracts for three new films, all set to release in 2019.
An established TV serial actor, Mouni became famous for her role in Naagin. She had earlier worked in a Punjabi film titled Hero Hitler in Love.
Ishaan Khatter
Son of actors Rajesh Khatter and Neelima Azeem, Ishaan entered the film industry as an assistant director. While in college, he worked in films like Udta Punjab. He made his debut with Dhadak, a remake of Nagraj Manjule's Sairat. Though critics were not happy with the remake, everyone unanimously agreed that Ishaan had performed like a seasoned actor. He has also appeared in Beyond the Clouds, helmed by Iranian director Majid Majidi, which is set for its India release in 2019.
Aswathy Manoharan
A yoga enthusiast and dance master, Aswathy made her debut opposite Antony Varghese in the Malayalam film Swathantryam Ardharathriyil. In the film directed by Angamaly Diaries fame Tinu Pappachan, she played the role of Betty.
Mohan Bhagath
He made his acting debut in the critically acclaimed film C/O Kancharapalem, which was directed by Maha Venkatesh. The film introduced 86 fresh faces to the Telugu film industry and Mohan is one of the few who stood out. He is now sought after in Tollywood as two more films were released in 2018 with him playing key roles.
Janhvi Kapoor
Daughter of producer Boney Kapoor and late actress Sridevi, she proved to be her mother's daughter with her debut film Dhadak. She also bagged a Norwegian honour, receiving the 'rising star of the year' award for her performance in the Sairat remake.
Mithila Palkar
Palkar who rose to fame in 2016 for posting a song on YouTube, inspired by the cup song in Pitch Perfect, made her debut in Karwaan, a road journey film with established actors Dulquer Salmaan and Irrfan Khan. Giving tough competition to both of them, Mithila received several compliments for breathing life into the film.
Though Karwaan is her first film as a lead actor, she had played a character role in the 2015 film Katti Batti starring Imran Khan and Kangana Ranaut.
Samuel Robinson
By debuting in Sudani from Nigeria, Samuel has become the first Nigerian to play a lead role in an Indian film. With his brilliant performance, he has proved himself a valuable addition to the Indian film industry.
The film became an instant hit and the 19-year-old was praised for his acting. A few days after the release, the actor took to social media to say he was paid very less for his role by the producer, because of racial discrimination. However, after some time, he said the issue was sorted out with the producer and the issue was one of miscommunication and not racial discrimination.
Samuel's second Malayalam film, Oru Caribbean Udayippu, is set to be released in January 2019.
Sara Ali Khan
Daughter of Saif Ali Khan, the 23-year-old is a graduate from the prestigious Columbia University. She made her debut as Mandakini "Mukku" Mishra in the film Kedarnath. Though the film came under fire allegedly for promoting 'Love Jihad,' her performance received many accolades.