Stardom starts early in Kollywood

It looks like Tamil cinema discovers its superstars at a young age. For, many actors/actresses ruling the roost in tinseltown currently started out pretty early — from the time they were toddlers. On Children's Day, Chennai Times takes a look at some such stars...

Kamal Haasan
Ammavum Neeye Appavum Neeye... — this is a line that'll forever remain etched in the memory of Tamil cinema fans. This song, which featured in 1960 film Kalathur Kannama, marked the entry of Kamal Haasan to the industry. Today, the actor — christened Ulaganayagan by his fans — is known by many to essay a variety of roles with ease.

Simbu
His father, T Rajendar, introduced him to films very early. After acting in many films under his father's direction, Simbu aka STR branched out as a hero doing several commercial films. With his recent Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa clicking at the BO, Simbu's career graph is on the upswing.

Meena
She was just four when Sivaji Ganesan spotted her at a birthday party. Soon, Meena found herself facing the camera, playing a child artist in Nenjangal. During those initial years, she was popular for her role in Anbulla Rajinikanth that featured the Superstar.

Shalini
After debuting as a child artist in Malayalam under Fazil's direction, which won her critical acclaim as well, she went back to studies, only to return later to films. Though she did many roles in Mollywood back then, she soon blossomed into a sought-after heroine in Tamil, too.

Hansika
She was one of the children in Koi Mil Gaya, starring Preity Zinta and Hrithik Roshan, and then played Raveena Tandon's daughter in Jaago. Today, she shares screen space with all the leading stars in Kollywood and Tollywood and has a handful of films up for release.