While 2011 saw the emergence of Khushboo as a force to be reckoned with in a sphere previously unknown to her, there were the young and dynamic Anirudh Ravichander and a Richa Gangopadhyay who burst on to the scene and created an equal amount of hype.

Sheer talent, conviction and the courage to dream big makes these people stand out. 2012 will be a year that their star might soar and these names will form the power list in their own circles.

Khushboo, politician

 She has always been the media’s favourite, but now she is rising to be the media face of the DMK party in a very short span of time.

Where some members take years to climb the ladder, Khusboo was a quick riser. She joined the party in May 2010.

She might not be the official spokesperson of the party but hers is a regular face on the 24/7 news channels. She is articulate and vocal and that works in her favour.

She is a DMK loyalist and was seen standing by Karunanidhi in all difficult times, like other old war horses in the party.

Despite her injuries, she participated in all the protests and even toured Delhi many times when Kanimozhi was lodged in the Tihar jail.

Richa, actress

Richa bagged two big films last year. She had two back-to-back releases with Mayakkam Enna andOsthe. In Mayakkam Enna the pretty actress showed her acting talent with some very convincing performances.

The actress plans to take up similar roles in the New Year as well. She says, “The character of Yamini inMayakkam Enna was more challenging than the regular ones. I would like to choose such interesting roles this year too. A couple of my Telugu films and Bengali films will be out this year. I am looking forward to a meaningful year.”

Anirudh Ravichander, music composer

21-year-old Anirudh Ravichander, the young composer of Kolaveri in 3 cannot ask for anything more. The B.Com graduate from Loyola College created waves across the globe with his catchy Kolaveri tune.

The youngster is busy being interviewed by international news channels. The music albums of 3 are a confirmed hit and Anirudh turned out to be the music director in demand for the moment.

Undoubtedly, Kolaveri made 2011 his. Asked about his future prospects in 2012, he says, “I have been traveling to Mumbai these days to meet B’town producers and directors. Many of them have approached me after Kolaveri happened. I will focus on Tamil films and I am planning to take up

Bollywood projects as well. Right now my focus is on the film 3. I am waiting for the release of the film this year and hope it will rock as much as the song did.”

Manoj Paramahamsa, cinematographer

Manoj Paramahamsa is one of the most promising cinematographers in Tamil cinema. He has worked on notable films like Eeram, Vinnaithandi Varuvaya, and Nadunisi Naygal in which cinematography played more of a vital role than the script of the film.

Manoj is currently working on Nanban, directed by Shankar. With Nanban, Manoj has joined the list of leading cinematographer in Tamil cinema.

Ask him about his promising forthcoming projects next year, he says, “I would like to work with a fresh team on a different script. I would like to focus more on the technology aspect of cinematography and bring in more change in filmmaking. I may also take up film production and produce some soulful films.

Designer, Siddharth Shashankan

For every designer, his creation is an expression of his inner self, and this is exactly what the Chennai-based fashion designer, Siddharth Shashankan does. “It’s a great feeling to see your vision transform into a product.” During his training at Raffles Design, Singapore, Siddharth learnt every aspect of fashion, from conceptualisation to execution. Starting a high-end fashion label in the city was the next a challenge, “Chennai is a developing fashion market. I knew it was not going to be easy, but then good things don’t come easy, do they?”

Speaking about working with ace-photographer, G. Venket Ram, Siddharth says, “My second label ‘Clipse’ was shot by him. Having worked with him earlier, I had attained a high level of comfort. He was very clear about what he expected of me and I was briefed about the look and the choice of colours. For Mamta, it was bright orange all the way, and for Richa the look was more romantic, the entire shoot was a great challenge.”

He adds, “2011 had its ups and downs, but 2012 is going to bring out a lot of surprises. Working with the film industry is something I have been contemplating. If a challenging opportunity comes along, why not? Though seeing Superstar Rajinikanth in one of my creations would be priceless, my upcoming projects include — Hangar’s fourth collection, which will be out by February.”

NGO, Ranjith S.K., Balagurukulam

Ranjith S. K. is a proud father of 50 children. He knows the needs of everyone and makes sure that all their needs are met. When he and his wife adopted their first child, it meant the world to them.
The child went on to study fashion technology and is now working in a five star hotel. And it’s not just the story of one boy but all of Ranjith’s adopted kids who await a bright future.

“Balagurukalam is an ashramam, where the students are given a platform for all-round development. We started in 2001. 2012 is very special as we have plans of expanding. We are planning to start 25 centres across Tamil Nadu. We are also planning to start a green drive where we will be planting 10,000 saplings across the city,” says Ranjith, an ardent follower of Vivekananda.