Sid and other stars new players in ad world

Gen-next Bollywood actors are the hottest new players in ad world; we take a look at who's in demand and why

Out with the old and in with the new. The saying could well have been coined keeping modern advertisements in mind, where you need something fresh every two months to get audiences interested. And with commercials ever-so-reliant on Bollywood to sell everything from hair oil to cola to cars and watches, the new crop of actors is also the ad world's most-wanted.

And while the Khans and a veteran Amitabh Bachchan still reign, gen-next actors are in demand because they make for fresh faces and attract the youth.

Shahid Kapur and Priyanka Chopra have now been replaced by Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma in the Bru coffee ad. Sources state the obvious — the brand wanted a younger, hip pair and roped in two actors who had just done a film together (Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola).

Likewise, the three young actors who shot to fame with Student Of The Year (2012) — Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra — are being offered endorsement deals together and individually. Varun, who has just signed three new deals, says, "I've been little choosy about the ads. I want to connect with people of my age, who are also my audience, and these ads are helping me do that."

Ad-film-maker Prahlad Kakkar says, "Imran and Sonakshi Sinha are the young actors in demand, while Parineeti (Chopra), Ayushmann (Khurrana), Varun, Alia and Sidharth are the newbies creating buzz. They are affordable, exciting and have a hit under their belts. Everyone hopes their second films will be bigger; but if that doesn't happen, they will be forgotten." We got Prahlad and trade analyst Komal Mahta to analyse the appeal of the newcomers.