Another Bollywood scion makes his debut

Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) After a spate of star kids, it is the turn of filmmakers' offsprings to walk on the road to stardom.

Director Raj Kanwar's 10-year-old son Abhay made his big screen debut with "Humko Deewana Kar Gaye" last week, playing Akshay Kumar's nephew. "It wasn't planned. And I am not sure my son wants a career in films," Kanwar told IANS.

"What happened was that another child actor Raja Babu had problems with his studies and couldn't accompany us to Canada at the last minute. I was in a crisis and discussing my problem with my wife when my son chipped in, 'Why do you have to look outside? Main hoon na.'

"At first I was amused. I thought he was just imitating Shah Rukh Khan's line. Then I thought, why not? My boy has surprised me. In one sequence that Abhay has done in Punjabi, he'll move north Indian audiences to tears."

Kanwar says his son was shy of his screen mother Bhagyashree...

"Until Bhagyashree's son joined us... the two boys hit it off and then it was all fun and games. My son would go shopping with Bhagyashree and her son. And when I'd say he had to stay back for shooting he would counter-question, 'How can I be needed for a shot when my screen mother isn't'?"

Talking about the film's premiere, Kanwar grows grim.

"We had to cancel the premiere of "Humko Deewana Kar Gaye" because of Salman. Katrina wasn't up to it. I don't know what's going to happen to him. We are all praying for him. All of us in my family had been to the gurdwara and we prayed for him."

Incidentally, Kanwar's Punjabi colleague Anil Sharma had cast his young son as Sunny Deol's son in "Gadar - Ek Prem Katha". Kanwar hopes his little boy will be as lucky for "Humko Deewna Kar Gaye" as Sharma's son.

Pankaj Kapur's younger son Ishan and director Mahesh Manjrekar's son Satya also made their big screen debuts in "Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi".

Earlier this year, Keshu Ramsay's son Aryaman was launched in the dud "Family" with Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay.

Suneel Darshan's son Shiv, Vashu Bhagnani's son Jackie and Harry Baweja's son Harman are all getting ready to take off.

The list of star-sons makes you wonder where all the filmy daughters are! Besides Mahesh Bhatt's daughter Pooja and Raj Babbar's Juhi and, of course, the Kapoor sisters - Karisma and Kareena - there have been no female debutantes from within the industry.

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Humko Deewana Kar Gaye