The year has been full of surprises at the box office. While the Khan`s have continued to give numbers, it is the younger lot who have proved their mettle and set the cash registers ringing. Young actors namely; Sidharth Malhotra, Kriti Sanon, Tiger Shroff, Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra have stirred the interest of the audience and delivered power packed performances.

While Sidharth Malhotra surprised the industry by giving an opening of 16.5cr at the box office with 'Ek Villain', Arjun Kapoor opened '2 States' at 12cr. Varun Dhawan`s films were loved and his acting appreciated by audiences.

Tiger Shroff made an impressive debut with 'Heropanti' where audiences flocked into catch the new star in the making. The film opened at 6.5cr which is huge for a debutant actor.

The year has witnessed the young actors flourishing film after film. The change has also come about because the young talent is ready to experiment. They are not afraid to try different things.

Like for example Sidharth Malhotra started the year by playing the boy next door in 'Hasee Toh Phasee' and then audiences discovered an aggressive, grungy side of him in 'Ek Villain'.

The actors are playing diverse roles and are not sticking to specific genres or type-casting themselves. In addition to this while the gen Y is confident and taking risks at the same time, there are other factors which have added to their instant popularity and likability. There is a sense of realism and relatability which the audiences feel towards them.

These young actors have delivered hits at the box office and audiences are heading to theatres to not only watch the three Khans but also the young guns. These are numbers that belonged to the big guys until last year but these young actors have proved in 2014 that they are here to stay.

Big banners and established directors are betting on these guys and are readily giving them scripts for solo lead. The general level of faith in the young talent has paid off. One can finally say that these young guys have arrived! 2014 definitely belongs to this young clan.