Amarr Upadhyay, who ostensibly made his debut in the horror-thriller Dhund: The Fog, would like moviegoers to believe he sacrificed a thriving television career to prepare for his big screen stint.

The fact is Amarr is no stranger to films. He had an unreleased film with Antara Mali and a brief role in Dev Anand's film Censor before bagging the plum role of Mihir in Ekta Kapoor's immensely successful soap, Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.

But it should not surprise anyone if he is soon listed as a nominee in the Best Debutant category. After all, it happened with Gracy Singh in Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan. Everyone raved about her virgin beauty when, in fact, her career as movie actress started five years ago with a brief role in Gulzar's Hu Tu Tu. Gracy then moved to television and, like Amarr, used her popularity on the home viewing medium to make headway on the large screen.

Model Reema Lamba, who played second lead to Kareena Kapoor in Vashu Bhagnani's Jeena Sirf Merre Liye last year, has now changed her name to Mallika and is making another try for stardom in Govind Menon's erotic sizzler, Khwaish.

Dino Morea, who made his debut with Rinke Khanna and Sanjay Suri three years ago in Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi and then did a miniscule role in Rajiv Menon's superhit film, Kandukondain Kandukondain, fizzled out only to resurface as a newcomer in Raaz.

Isha Koppikar may be branded the Khallas girl for life after her sizzlingly hot item song in Ram Gopal Varma's Company, but she had full length roles in at least two earlier films -- Fiza and Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya. Both she and her publicity managers have chosen to ignore this little fact.

Often filmmakers who sign and groom these artistes are not aware of their protegee's antecedents. Take Dev Anand and Subhash Ghai, for example. Anand signed a newcomer for a heroine's role in one of his films in the early 1990s only to discover she had kept mum about her television career. Recently, Ghai discovered that the young actress in the comedy he was producing had done a television serial.

"At times, debutantes hide their earlier work or don't harp on it and go on with a fresh launch," says a filmmaker who was on the verge of signing a newcomer until he discovered she had done two films earlier. "Often, the awards committees end up falling for the subterfuge. This year's awards nominations for a film monthly has only two fresh artistes out of the six nominated in the New Actor in a Leading Role. Whether this is a result of actual ignorance or an effort to project talented people in a fresh light is unknown. Either way, it is unfair to thrust non-newcomers as debutants on the public."