Seven new, promising stars of 2011

Aman Sethi

He is a journalist who won the International Committee of the Red Cross award for the best Indian print media article on humanitarian issues. His report covered police atrocities in Chhattisgarh villages, as the government finds it increasingly tough to fight the Maoists. Sethi's bond with those who remain invisible to the urban juggernaut extends to his debut novel A Free Man, the tale of a migrant labourer in Delhi.

Abhishek Chaubey

He directed the brilliant Ishqiya in 2010, after being associate director on some of Vishal Bhardwaj's best works. Their next work, directed by Bhardwaj, is called Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola and is slated for a 2012 release.

Aman Sethi is a journalist who won the International Committee of the Red Cross award.

Kalki Koechlin

Releases in 2011 ensured it is tough to slot her. If her characters in Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitan and Anurag Kashyap's That Girl in Yellow Boots were what you would expect from her, the ridiculously posh and possessive Natasha in Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara turned those expectations on their head. She also starred in Raaghav Dar's My Friend Pinto and will be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai in 2012.

Rana Begum

Is an artist of Bangladeshi origin, living and working in London. An urban romantic, her works are inspired by the urban environment and are simple and hard-edged. She has three shows lined up for 2012, including a solo show in Dubai.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Is the rare player who unleashes the carrom ball (a version of the spin) on the cricket pitch. He made his Test debut against West Indies in November 2011, winning the Man of the Series award. He was also retained by Chennai Super Kings during the 2011 IPL auctions for $850,000.

Mirza Waheed

Writes about his homeland Kashmir in his debut novel The Collaborator, which is about an obscure village along the Line of Control, caught in the politics and violence between India and Pakistan. Waheed is a journalist based in the UK.

Ajinkya Rahane

One of 11 players to have scored more than 1,000 runs in a single Ranji Trophy season, he made his ODI debut during England's tour of India. He has been included in the squad for the Australia tour and is considered as one of the possible replacements for Rahul Dravid.