While actors like Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan, and of course Shahrukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan are major stars in Bollywood right now, I would like to divert your attention to the future and current heartthrobs of Bollywood: Abhay Deol and Ranbir Kapoor.

Both Deol and Kapoor’s films have captivated the youth of India. Both men hail from major Bollywood families, and both have acted in films that have done well with the masses, critics, and awards.

Deol has been in the industry longer, and is, in my opinion, the better actor. His track record is impressive– he was the star in last year’s most successful off beat film, Dev D. Before that, he starred in films like Honeymoon Travels, Pvt. Ltd., Manorama Six Feet Under, and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! His latest film, Road, Movie, has done amazingly well at various festivals, and with critics. The film is directed by Dev Benegal, a famous documentary filmmaker.

Here is the promo:

Deol’s choice in films are telling. He isn’t an actor from Nasseerudein Shah or Rahul Bose’s house of acting, that is, he doesn’t act in art films. But, his films are far from mainstream. His films represent the new crop of Bollywood films that are off-beat, but have humor, romance, and music. They’re often low budget, with new directors. He avoids major mainstream films that usually have a high box office return.  Deol’s films don’t always make a lot of money, but are well-made, original films that find their niche audience.

Kapoor, on the other hand, does act in major big budget blockbuster films with high profile stars. His first film, Saawariya, was Hollywood’s first major investment in Bollywood, and was made by an established and famous director. Ranbir Kapoor the won best male debut award at the Filmfare Awards for his role.

After the film, Kapoor was sought after some of the biggest names in Bollywood. He could have followed Hrithik Roshan or Abhishek Bachchan’s career path, two actors who also hailed from famous Bollywood families. Instead, Kapoor did a little bit of both. He wasn’t as courageous as Deol– he still stuck with big production houses, but after an initial mainstream phase, started to act in films with new directors in films with fresh scripts.

Kapoor had a great last year. He starred in the very filmy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahaani (which was mainstream, but much better than many of his previous films). Along with the masala flick, he acted in two parallel films, which won him the Filmfare Critic’s Award last year. His film Wake Up Sid was one of my favorites- It was about a rich boy who hadn’t yet figured out what to do with his life. The plot wasn’t anything too new, but the way the story unfolded and the superb acting made the film one of the best of last year.

Here is a promo for Wake up Sid:

In Rocket Singh- Salesman of the Year, Kapoor played a Sikh. He wore a turban and spoke a lot of Punjab. The film didn’t have songs and had a very compelling and original story. Kapoor is a favorite among the youth and has a huge female following, yet he chose to take a huge risk with his career and acted in two films that weren’t guaranteed box office hits, and in fact didn’t earn as much money as some of his other more safe offers would have.

None of Kapoor’s films compare to Deol’s film Dev D. last year, which also managed to fair extremely well in India, as well as bag many prestigious awards. The film was not only path breaking, but revolutionary for Indian cinema.

These two actors have all sorts of options available to them, and are easily the most sought after actors in Bollywood. Yet, their choices are far from expected. These new breed of actors aren’t repeating the safe choices of actors before them, but are taking risks and trying new roles. They are the future of Bollywood, and right now, the future looks promising.