SIIMA 2015 nominations: Best Debutant Male

Dulquer Salmaan: Vaayai Moodi Pesavum
Making a charming debut in Tamil was Dulquer Salmaan in Vaayai Moodi Pesavum. Playing a guy who banks on his ‘gift of the gab’ to take him through life, Dulquer breezed through the role. His performance, especially after the movie goes silent, is surely one of the biggest plus points of the film.

Aari: Nedunchalai
Choosing an unconventional film for his debut, Aari, who is a trained theatre actor, plays the role of Murugan, a highway robber, with a murky past, which earns him the title of ‘nedunchalai boochaandi’. Delivering a breakthrough performance, Aari proved in his very first film that he is indeed here to stay.

Chandran: Kayal
Kayal has Chandran making his debut as a free-spirited young man who falls in love with an innocent girl, amidst the backdrop of a tsunami, where fate and nature are the villains. His performance was well-appreciated and he was hailed as an actor to be reckoned with, especially for a newcomer.

Abhinay Vaddi: Ramanujan
Abhinay comes from lineage – and that too, that of Kadhal Mannan Gemini Ganesan and the inimitable Savithri, so naturally he has a lot to live up to. The young actor, played the role of the mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, capturing the defining moments of the late mathematician’s life with equal measures of joy and poignance.

Santhosh Prathap: Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam
He might be from a marketing background, but debutant Santhosh has always maintained that it was his dream to be an actor. He worked his way up, starting off as a model, before bagging a role in Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam. The actor was praised for his performance, so much so, that he even bagged a role in the sequel to the film!