Mehta had auditioned more than 50 girls for the role, but when she met the young Sri Lankan she said, "Sarala seemed to have exactly the right combination of youthful innocence and unflagging independence."

Sarala has left the same kind of lasting impact on audiences as Ayesha Kapur did in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's critically acclaimed "Black", released in 2005.

Once again it is difficult to imagine a 10-year-old having to portray the anger, frustration and helplessness of a deaf, mute and blind girl on screen.

But Ayesha, who was pitted against the legendary Amitabh Bachchan and talented Rani Mukerji in the film, carried the role so effortlessly that many felt she was better than Rani. She overshadowed her co-stars with her natural performances.

Commenting upon this little bundle of talent, Bhansali had said: "She is a star, she is a monster, she is a genius, she is a chatterbox, she is spontaneous, she is effortless, she's got the aura of a rock star... she even bullied Amitabh Bachchan."

Bollywood acknowledged this young genius by giving her the Filmfare and STAR Screen awards for her performance in the film.

Then there is Visahl Bhardwaj's protégé Shweta Prasad, who wowed the audiences in the fantasy drama "Makadee" (2002).

Shweta shared screen space with stalwarts like Shabana Azmi and Makarand Deshpande. In spite of such seasoned performers, Shweta carved a niche for herself and sparkled in the double role.

For her outstanding performance in "Makadee" she too was honoured with the STAR Screen Award.