# Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut
The Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut is an annual award presented by Filmfare as part of its Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, recognizing a performance by a female actor in a debut role.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Earlier name | Filmfare Lux New Face Award; the last award under that title went to Preity Zinta in 1999[1](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-debut-66.html) |
| First recipient | Juhi Chawla, for *Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak* (1989), per one record; another account dates the award's first presentation to 1988[1](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-debut-66.html) |
| 2025 recipient | Nitanshi Goel, for *Laapataa Ladies*[2](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/winners) |
| Shared award | In 2004 the award went to both Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra for *Andaaz*[1](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-debut-66.html) |
## Naming history
The award began under the title Filmfare Lux New Face Award. According to one account, it was first given in 1988, with a special Best Female Debut award given to Tabu in 1995 alongside the regular winner [Sonali Bendre](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonali-bendre); the last Lux New Face Award was given to [Preity Zinta](https://www.edgepedia.org/preity-zinta) in 1999, after which the category was renamed Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.[1](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-debut-66.html) The two accounts do not agree on the starting year, and both are reported here as stated.
## Winners of the 1990s and 2000s
The early roll call of winners includes [Bhagyashree](https://www.edgepedia.org/bhagyashree) for *Maine Pyar Kiya* (1990), [Pooja Bhatt](https://www.edgepedia.org/pooja-bhatt) for *Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin* (1991), [Raveena Tandon](https://www.edgepedia.org/raveena-tandon) for *Patthar Ke Phool* (1992), Divya Bharti for *Deewana* (1993), Mamta Kulkarni for *Aashiq Awara* (1994), Twinkle Khanna for *Barsaat* (1996), Seema Biswas for *Bandit Queen* (1997), Mahima Chowdhary for *Pardes* (1998), and Preity Zinta for *Dil Se* and *Soldier* (1999).[1](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-debut-66.html)
In the 2000s the winners were [Nandita Das](https://www.edgepedia.org/nandita-das) for *1947: Earth* (2000), Kareena Kapoor for *Refugee* (2001), [Bipasha Basu](https://www.edgepedia.org/bipasha-basu) for *Ajnabee* (2002), [Esha Deol](https://www.edgepedia.org/esha-deol) for *Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche* (2003), Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra jointly for *Andaaz* (2004), Ayesha Takia for *Taarzan: The Wonder Car* and *Dil Maange More* (2005), Vidya Balan for *Parineeta* (2006), Kangana Ranaut for *Gangster* (2007), Deepika Padukone for *Om Shanti Om* (2008), and Asin Thottumkal for *Ghajini* (2009).[1](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-debut-66.html)
## Winners of the 2010s and 2020s
Filmfare's own retrospective of the last decade lists [Kriti Sanon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kriti-sanon) for *Heropanti* (2015), [Bhumi Pednekar](https://www.edgepedia.org/bhumi-pednekar) for *Dum Laga Ke Haisha* (2016), [Ritika Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/ritika-singh) for *Saala Khadoos* (2017), Sara Ali Khan for *Kedarnath* (2019), Ananya Panday for *Student of the Year 2* (2020), Alaya F for *Jawaani Jaaneman* (2021), Sharvari Wagh for *Bunty Aur Babli 2* (2022), Andrea Kevichüsa for *Anek* (2023), and Alizeh Agnihotri for *Farrey* (2024).[3](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/amp-stories/9-celebs-who-won-best-debut-female-at-filmfare-awards-71124.amp) The 2025 ceremony honored Nitanshi Goel for *Laapataa Ladies*, a film that also won Best Film, Best Director, and several other categories that year.[2](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/winners)
Contemporary reporting confirms several of these results: at the 62nd [Filmfare Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards) in January 2017, Ritika Singh won Best Female Debut for *Saala Khadoos*;[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/filmfare-awards-2017-complete-list-of-winners-updating-live-4474651/) at the 68th Filmfare Awards in 2023, Andrea Kevichüsa won for *Anek*;[5](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/filmfare-awards-2023-full-winners-list-alia-bhatt-tabu-bhumi-pednekar-rajkummar-rao-gangubai-kathiawadi-8580304/) and at the 61st Filmfare Awards, Bhumi Pednekar won for *Dum Laga Ke Haisha*.[6](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/ranveer-singh-deepika-padukone-win-big-at-filmfare-awards/lite/)
## Family connections among winners
Two family patterns stand out in the award's record.
## Discrepancies in recorded winners
A Wikidata-based catalog of the award lists winners for several years that differ from the list above: Pooja Bhatt for *Daddy* (1992), [Seema Biswas](https://www.edgepedia.org/seema-biswas) for *Bandit Queen* (1994), Sonali Bendre for *Aag* (1995), [Twinkle Khanna](https://www.edgepedia.org/twinkle-khanna) (1996), Preity Zinta for *Dil Se..* (1998), Nandita Das for *Earth* (2000), Esha Deol (2003), [Lara Dutta](https://www.edgepedia.org/lara-dutta) (2004), Parineeti Chopra for *Ladies vs Ricky Bahl* (2012), Ileana D'Cruz for *Barfi!* (2013), Vaani Kapoor for *Shuddh Desi Romance* (2014), Ritika Singh for *Irudhi Suttru* (2016), and Sharvari for *Bunty Aur Babli 2* (2022).[7](https://easeofbiz.com/awards/winners/filmfare-award-for-best-female-debut) The catalog itself notes that it is not the award body's official roll and is not complete for any year.[8](https://travelindia-guide.com/bollywood/awards/records/filmfare-award-for-best-female-debut/) Where the two records conflict, for example the 1992 winner (Raveena Tandon for *Patthar Ke Phool* versus Pooja Bhatt for *Daddy*) or the 1994 winner (Mamta Kulkarni versus Seema Biswas), both versions are reported rather than merged.
## References
1. [Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, Awards and Shows](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-debut-66.html)
2. [Filmfare Awards Winners List (1954–Present), Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/winners)
3. [9 Celebs Who Won Best Debut Female at Filmfare Awards, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/amp-stories/9-celebs-who-won-best-debut-female-at-filmfare-awards-71124.amp)
4. [Filmfare Awards 2017: Complete list of winners, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/filmfare-awards-2017-complete-list-of-winners-updating-live-4474651/)
5. [Filmfare Awards 2023 full winners list, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/filmfare-awards-2023-full-winners-list-alia-bhatt-tabu-bhumi-pednekar-rajkummar-rao-gangubai-kathiawadi-8580304/)
6. [Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone win big at Filmfare Awards, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/ranveer-singh-deepika-padukone-win-big-at-filmfare-awards/lite/)
7. [Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut: winners, EaseOfBiz (Wikidata-based)](https://easeofbiz.com/awards/winners/filmfare-award-for-best-female-debut)
8. [Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut — films on record, Travel India Guide](https://travelindia-guide.com/bollywood/awards/records/filmfare-award-for-best-female-debut/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Indian and South Asian film awards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license