Bollywood is full of veteran actors like Amitabh Bachchan, the Khans and Akshay Kumar. Nevertheless, 2016 was a year dedicated to newcomers and mediocre actors. No big brands, no Godfathers and no celebrity parents promoting your talents, still most of these stars outshined other notable actors and set a milestone with their performances.
Here’s to the top Bollywood Performers of 2016 who wowed us with their incredible acting talents.
Sushant Singh Rajput & Alia Bhatt: Top Bollywood Performers of 2016
1. Sushant Singh Rajput
Sushant Singh Rajput, the current heartthrob of the season is the top performer of the year. Singh is known to act in just one movie every year, but then he works extremely hard to make that one movie a super success. This year’s blockbuster “MS Dhoni– The Untold Story” won millions of heart in last few months.
The filmmakers gave the entire credit to Sushant for this one. The actor went on a strict training regime for several months to enact the veteran cricketer’s life on the silver screen. Singh was so serious about his commitments that he went to extent of stalking Dhoni to copy his posture, gestures and way of talking.
Needless to say, his efforts showed colours when the movie went super-hit.
2. Alia Bhatt
Though Alia Bhatt belongs to the renowned ‘Bhatt Family’, it was not her surname but her talent that made her a successful performer in the B-town. She gave an incredible and some of the most versatile roles in Kapoor and Sons, Dear Zindagi and Udta Punjab. We got to see different shades of personality in each of her roles.
In Kapoor & Sons, we saw her as an independent, happy-go-lucky, lonely friend. She was at her best in Udta Punjab, where she played the role of a serious, oppressed, drug addict battling the atrocities of life. It was a splendid year end for Alia in Dear Zindagi. We saw Alia as a self-regulating, carefree lady, who was emotionally needy and a bit insecure about relationship and life in general.
All in all, it was a successful year for the versatile Bhatt prodigy.
Who were the Others that Performed Splendidly this Year
Mediocre actors like Randeep Hooda, Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazudding Siddiqui came up with character-driven films that earned critical attention. They didn’t just surprise us with their performances but went all the way to make their roles genuine and more heart-connecting.
- Randeep Hooda
Though Sarabjit wasn’t a commercial success, Randeep Hooda worked extra hard to play the role of a browbeaten Indian prisoner trapped in Pakistani jail. He went on a starvation diet to fit in the character. Not only this, he gave a sensational performance as a struggling lover in ‘Do Lafzon ki Kahani’. Sadly, both the movies were flops, but the critics appreciated Hooda’s performance.
- Manoj Bajpayee
Bajpayee portrayed the role of a whiskey-loving, emotionally weak gay professor in Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh. If you think Budhia Singh and Traffic were his best movies, you need to watch Aligarh. It Bajpayee’s finest performance till date.
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Siddiqui in Raman Raghav 2.0 exposed the vulnerabilities of the human mind. Anurag Kashyap aptly captured the psychosis of a traitor and victim in this epic piece. Not to mention, Nawazuddin earned extra credits for the movie.
- Tapsee Panu
Remember hot, bold and independent Meenal Arora in Pink? Tapsee gave a whole lot meaning to feminism with her performance in pink. She played the headstrong, working woman who raised her voice against social prejudice in a patriarchal society.
It was a Good Year for Veteran Bollywood Actors
- Amitabh Bachchan
It was a comeback for Bachchan this year. He played the intelligent, cranky lawyer who earned justice for a woman battling against social prejudice in Pink. His role as a clever game player who set the entire gameplan to extract revenge from his daughter’s killer. It seems that people love seeing the senior, seasoned actor in serious roles.
- Shahid Kapoor
Those who thought Shahid doesn’t know how to act, surely didn’t see him in Haider and Jab we Met. If you think these were his best performances, you ought to see him in Udta Punjab. He poured his heart out as an unstable, fading rapper and drug abuser who went from rags to riches in Punjab.
- Akshay Kumar
All hail to Akshay, who gave the best role of his entire film career in Rustom and Airlift. While Airlift denotes Akshay’s patriotic penchant, Rustom highlighted him as a crafty naval officer fighting for justice.
All’s the Same in the Khan Camp
Things didn’t change much in the Khan camp. Saif Ali Khan was non-existent. Shahrukh Khan came up with Fan and Dear Zindagi that went average despite their monumental publicity. Though Salman performed well in Dangal, but it was the ‘anti-female’ comment that earned him viewers for the movie.
At the end, it was Aamir, who overshadowed all with his Christmas release, like always. His ‘Dangal’ was one of the finest performances of the year! Despite 28-30 flops in 2016, we saw the top Bollywood Performers of 2016 in their best roles this year! They’ve raised the bars for the coming year.
