Fatima-Sanya to Disha Patani, these debut actresses won our hearts in 2016!

Bollywood, in 2016, saw many fresh and promising faces. Last year we saw some great performances by a string of new comers like Bhumi Pednekar in Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Vicky Kaushal in Masaan proving their mettle through their powerful performances. This year, with Dangal finally hitting the screens, we have found new gems called Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra. Not just them, but newcomers like Disha Patani, Kaira Advani and Sayesha Saigal also made headlines. 

With just five days left for 2017 to ring in, here are the actresses who made their Bollywood debut in 2016 and won our hearts. 

Shriya Pilgaonkar

Shriya is the daughter of the much-loved actors Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar. She made her Hindi film debut this year in SRK starrer Fan. Though her role was a short one, but was substantial. After the film hit the theatres, movie buffs wanted to see more of her on the big screen. She is also a theater actress and has directed a few short films. We hope in 2017 we get to see this newcomer in films. 

Saiyami Kher

Saiyami Kher's Bollywood debut was with Anil Kapoor's son Harshvardhan in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Mirziya. The film received a mixed response but her performance was appreciated. She is the niece of veteran Bollywood actresses Shabana Azmi and Tanvi Azmi. The young and talented aspiring actress is also the granddaughter of a famous yesteryear actress, Usha Kiran.

Disha Patani

Disha Patani, way before her big Bollywood debut, was making headlines for her rumoured relationship with Tiger Shroff. Disha made her way in Bollywood with Neeraj Pandey's M.S. Dhoni - The Untold Story. She played the role of Dhoni's late girlfriend in the film. Interestingly, Disha made to the top Google trending charts of female Bollywood stars in 2016, all credits to her popularity!

Sayyeshaa Saigal

Sayyeshaa is the niece of popular veteran actress Saira Banu. The 18-year-old girl was seen alongside Ajay Devgn in Shivaay. The newcomer did manage to steal the show with her acting skills as it was tough to stand out in front of an actor like Ajay. We do hope to see Sayyeshaa in 2017!

Ritika Singh

The list would be incomplete without mentioning mixed martial artist-turned-actress Ritika Singh. The actress was praised for her strong performance in Saala Khadoos. Her role as a boxer made a mark and viewers were in awe of this simple and yet talented newcomer. 

Pooja Hegde 

Pooja Hedge made her Bollywood debut in Mohenjo Daro alongside Hrithik Roshan. Though the film tanked at the box office, viewers did notice this newcomer for her performance in the film. Hegde's headgear look was already making noise before the film released. It'll be interesting to what 2017 has to offer to Pooja. 

Fatima Sana Shaikh

Fans were waiting for Dangal to hit the screens on December 23 and the film is already minting money at the box office. Fatima Sana Shaikh played the role of Geeta and just nailed the character. Going by the reviews, Fatima carried the film on her tiny-winy shoulders and has made sure that the eyes were completely set on her. She shined out in Aamir Khan's film and we are sure that 2017 will have some good in store for this newcomer. 

Sanya Malhotra

For those who don't know, Sanya is from Delhi and is also a trained dancer. Sanya played the role of Babita in Dangal. Though her wrestling scenes were shorter in time than that of Fatima, Sanya gave her best foot forward in the film. Fatima and Sanya became famous by the name of Dhaakad girls. Their performance onscreen showed all the grueling sessions they went through while shooting for the film. 

These debut actresses did manage to win our hearts in 2016. Let's see what 2017 will offer in terms of new faces. 

Which one among these is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.