Then and Now: Actresses you probably didn't know were also child actors

It's Sana Saeed's birthday on September 22. As the popular actress, who rose to fame with her act as the chirpy little girl Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, turns 32 this year, here's a quick look at actresses who started their acting career at a young age.

Updated On: 2019-08-10 09:39 AM IST

These child artistes from Bollywood films turned into beautiful divas

Sana Saeed: She played the role of Tanya Israni in Student Of The Year (2012), but is still more famous for her portrayal of SRK's adorable daughter Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). Sana has also featured in television soaps like Babul Ka Aangann Chootey Na and Lo Ho Gayi Pooja Iss Ghar Ki, and was part of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (season 6). Sana Saeed last appeared in Color's show Khatra Khatra Khatra (2018) as a guest.

Ayesha Takia: Remember the little girl who appeared on our TV screens during the early '90s and proclaimed "I am a Complan Girl"? She is none other than 'Wanted' and 'Socha Na Tha' actress Ayesha Takia. She looked absolutely cute as a child, and now she's one of the prettiest actresses in B-town. Married to politician Abu Azmi's son Farhan Azmi, Ayesha also has a six-year-old son, Mikail Azmi.

Alia Bhatt: She played the role of the younger Preity Zinta in the 1999 crime thriller Sangharsh when she was just six. Alia made a promising debut in Student Of The Year (2012) and is currently one of the A-listers and highest-paid actresses in India. Not only this, but she has also appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2014 and was featured by Forbes Asia in their 30 Under 30 list of 2017.

Malvika Raaj: The girl who played the young Kareena Kapoor in 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' (2001), was a Femina Miss India contestant in 2010, and is now a full-time model and has also been a national level football player.

Amrita Prakash: As a child artiste, she made her mark as Milli in 'Tum Bin' (2001) and in the Malayalam film 'Manjupoloru Penkutti' (2004). As a grown-up artiste, her first proper role was in the TV show 'Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai' (2008) as Sanskriti Thakral. She has also anchored reality shows.

Hansika Motwani: She played Hrithik Roshan's little friend in Koi... Mil Gaya (2003). She made her Bollywood debut as the female lead in Aap Ka Surroor (2007) opposite Himesh Reshammiya. Hansika is currently one of the top actresses in the Tamil film industry. Very few know that Hansika Motwani is involved in many philanthropic activities. The actress provides monetary support for the education of 25 underprivileged children and also takes care of the medical needs of 10 women affected with breast cancer. She has also been the brand ambassador of 'Chennai turns Pink', a programme to create breast cancer awareness among urban women.

Pooja Ruparel: Best remembered as Chutki from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), and also for her role in King Uncle she was part of Anil Kapoor's desi version of the international series 24 on Colors. However, the actress is now into stand-up comedy and is doing very well for herself.

Urmila Matondkar: She was lovable as Pinky, the elder daughter of Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah in the classic Masoom (1983). A decade or so later, she took Bollywood by storm, playing the sensuous diva in Rangeela (1995). She is happily married to businessman Mohsin Akhtar Mir.

Konkona Sen Sharma: She first faced the camera as a four-year-old in the 1983 Bengali film Indira, which starred her mother Aparna Sen. Today, she is among the most critically-acclaimed actresses in Bollywood. In 2017, Konkona Sen Sharma's directorial debut film A Death in the Gunj was released and she won the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director. The actress has also been a part of the critically acclaimed Lipstick Under My Burkha in the same year which won her numerous international awards. Konkona first gained attention with the English-language film Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002), which was directed by her mother, Aparna Sen, and received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.

Tabu: She played Dev Anand's teenage daughter in the film 'Hum Naujawan' (1985), and went on to become a highly rated actress in Bollywood with critically acclaimed movies to her credit.

Neetu Kapoor: As a child artist, Neetu Singh featured in a number of films, most prominent among them being Do Kaliyaan, in which she played a double role.

Padmini Kolhapure: She was first seen as a child actor in Dev Anand's Ishq Ishq Ishq (1975), she was also part of several other movies like Dreamgirl (1978), Zindagi (1976), and Saajan Bina Suhagan (1978). Padmini also played the younger version of Zeenat Aman in Raj Kapoor's 1978 classic Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Sridevi: She made her acting debut at the age of four with the Tamil movie Kandan Karunai as Lord Murugan. She continued acting in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films but it was her career in Bollywood that made her a household name in the country. Sridevi is remembered for her performances in some of the most iconic Bollywood films like Mr. India, Nagina, Sadma, ChaalBaaz, Chandni, Khuda Gawah, among many others in different Indian languages. Sridevi, who made a comeback to Bollywood in 2012 with English Vinglish after a hiatus of 15 years, was last seen in Mom in 2017. Her sudden death at the age of 54 left her family and fans in shock and grief.

Ankita Jhaveri: The original 'Rasna' girl has gone on to become a popular star down south, having worked in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films.

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