One of the most anticipated films of the year, Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, is grabbing headlines for all the right reasons: big-scale production, Ranveer Singh’s new avatar, and now, a fresh face who’s stealing the spotlight — Sara Arjun.
At the film’s trailer launch in Mumbai yesterday, Ranveer couldn’t stop praising his 20-year-old co-star. He called her “a prodigy,” comparing her to Hollywood actor Dakota Fanning. “Sara here is a prodigy. You just know some people are prodigies since childhood — much like Dakota Fanning in Hollywood,” Ranveer said. “It’s a testament to you that you beat thousands of other candidates to land this part. It feels like she has done 50 films before this. So precocious as a person, as a performer. You are one of the finest actors that I have shared the screen with,” he said.
So who exactly is this young talent?
Born in 2005, Sara has quite literally grown up in front of the camera. The daughter of actor Raj Arjun (known for his acclaimed performance as Farookh Malik in 2017’s Secret Superstar) and dance teacher Sanya Arjun, Sara started her career at just 18 months old — in a TV commercial.
By the time she turned five, she had already appeared in over 100 advertisements, allegedly for brands like Maggi, McDonald’s, and LIC, becoming one of the most recognisable child faces in India. Her breakout role came at the age of six, when she starred opposite Tamil superstar Vikram in Deiva Thirumagal (2011), playing his daughter, Nila.
From child actor to leading lady
Sara continued to impress with her acting chops in films like Saivam (2014), produced by Vijay. She made her Bollywood debut with Ek Thi Daayan (2013) and went on to appear in films like Saand Ki Aankh (2019), Toolsidas Junior (2022), and the anthology Ajeeb Daastaans (2021). Most recently, she portrayed the younger version of Aishwarya Rai’s character, Nandini, in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan, another role that drew praise for her poise.
With Dhurandhar, Sara steps into her first major adult role, and she’s doing so alongside one of Bollywood’s most dynamic teams.
