MUMBAI: Bollywood buffs are in for a lot of fresh pairs on screen this year. After the nearly complete no-show in 2020, many films set for release this year feature actors who have never shared the screen before.

Casting director and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra says that seeing different actors pair up on screen for the first time is always a treat. "People love to see anything that is out of the box. So this is why they love it when new actors work together. Also, actors, too, are experimenting and they love to try out something new. It gives a very fresh look on screen. If you team up actors who have worked with each other before, you feel like they have been seen together so many times," says Chhabra.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh adds that this kind of pairing also brings in the numbers. "People are excited to see fresh pairings on screen. Producers, of course, often want to pair the same hit pairs together, but people's expectations rise when they see two actors who have never worked together. These pairings can be of two heroes, two heroines, one hero-one heroine -- anything. It adds a certain novelty to the film," he says.

However, Adarsh adds that casting decisions should always be based on the requirement of the role. "It all depends on what the role requires. Makers select actors based on who will fit the role and if an actor can add that edge to the character," he says.

Here are some of the actors who will be seen sharing the screen for the first time

Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor
Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor will share the screen for the first time in the romantic drama Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. The film has been directed by Abhishek Kapoor.

Akshay Kumar and Sara Ali Khan: While the pairing in this film is not yet clear, Sara stars with Akshay in the Aanand L. Rai film, written by Himanshu Sharma. The film also stars Dhanush and Nimrat Kaur. Akshay and Sara recently shot some romantic scenes against the backdrop of Taj Mahal.

Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor
Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor will be seenn in the horror comedy, Roohi. The film has been directed by Hardik Mehta.

Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar
Rajkummar and Bhumi have teamed up for the social comedy drama Badhaai Do. This is the second film in the Badhaai Ho franchise. It has been directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni.

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani
Sidharth and Kiara will be sharing the screen in the film Shershaah. The film, directed by Vishnuvardhan, is about the late Kargil war hero and Param Vir Chakra recipient Captain Vikram Batra, essayed by Sidharth.