Here is a comprehensive list of Bollywood actresses who made an impact in 2016. The list is personal. Feed backs are welcome. Enjoy reading.
ALIA BHATT : Numero
Uno. Talented. Effortless. Heart-throb. Call her what you may wish. Right now
she can’t possibly do anything wrong even if she wants to. She was born with a
silver spoon but has the histrionics to consolidate her good luck. In 2016 she
gave three hits; ‘Kapoor & Sons’, ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Dear Zindagi’. In the
process she also delivered the best as well as the second best performances of
the year. There is no doubt that she will take home all the major film awards
in the next couple of months. Barring a ‘Shandaar flop’, she has also been quite
consistent at the box office and with age and ample opportunities by her side
she will go a long way in her career. Next she will be seen in another Dharma
film ‘Dragon’ along with Ranbir Kapoor.
A special mention
to Shabana Azmi who played Neerja’s mother in the film. She was flawless.
ANUSHKA SHARMA : Post the super success of
‘Sultan’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, she is the blockbuster girl of the moment.
Spunky, opinionated and daring, she doesn’t shy away from experimenting with
her roles. She has carved out an enviable position for herself in the annals of
Indian cinema with two 300 crore movies to her credit. She is also an emerging
producer who champions for the rights of unusual stories being told at the
movies.
KAREENA KAPOOR KHAN : Newly turned mommy Bebo
had quite an eventful year at the movies. Both ‘Ki & Ka’ and ‘Udta Punjab’
set the cash registers ringing and what’s more her work was also equally
appreciated in those films. Right now the name of her new born baby boy is more
in the news than her future projects.
AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN : Prior to ‘Jazbaa’ in 2015, her last release was
‘Guzaarish’ in 2010. Since then a lot has changed in Bollywood and many a
starlets went on to become superstars. However one thing that didn’t change
was her stardom, which survived marriage, motherhood and all those post
pregnancy weight controversy. Take a poll any day and she will make it to the
top 10 actresses of today. Her contemporaries have long faded away. After
getting lukewarm responses for ‘Jazbaa’ and ‘Sarbjit’, she finally delivered a
clean hit in ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. In a way director Karan Johar reintroduced
and recaptured her sizzle for an entirely new generation of teenyboppers and her
loyal fans. She has her own limitations but with a careful selection of movies
which showcases both her beauty and acting skills, she can make this the most
creative phase of her career.
RADHIKA
APTE : She doesn’t have the box office pull of an A list actress but her acting
is anything less than top class. ‘Parched’ and ‘Phobia’ both failed at the box
office but she shone like a polished diamond in those films. The short film
‘Kriti’ with Manoj Bajpayee also kept her in the news.
VIDYA
BALAN : The magic which she created with ‘The Dirty Picture’ and ‘Kahaani’ is no
more there. 'Kahaani 2' is both a commercial and critical failure. However her
histrionics are still in place and it will be interesting to see in which
direction she will go from here on. She has a couple of author backed roles
lined up for her next year.
THE TEAM OF PINK (TAPSEE PANNU, KIRTI KULHARI, ANDREA TARIANG) : ‘Pink’ was not
easy to watch because it points a finger directly at us, the society, and the
truth is always bitter. Apart from Amitabh Bachchan’s towering presence in the
film, it’s the performances of the three female protagonists that take the
cake. If you haven’t watched it already then please do right now because some
experiences cannot be described in words.
PRIYANKA
CHOPRA : Well she is in this list due to her hit TV show in the US, ‘Quantico’.
To be frank the show is as mediocre as it gets which is why
Priyanka deserves all the credits for the success of the show. With the ever
growing diaspora audiences in the West and Hollywood’s constant effort to
expand their market in the remote areas of the world, Priyanka was in the right
place at the right time. She had a Bollywood release in 'Jai Gangaajal' but
despite her spirited performance the film flopped. But hey she has BAYWATCH
(The Movie) coming up next year which will make her further famous around the
world.
JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ : The Sri Lankan beauty had her best year so far in 2016.
She had three releases and two of them, ‘Dishoom’ and ‘Housefull 3’, were
declared hits. Also David Dhawan has signed her on for ‘Judwaa 2’. One thing is
for sure she will retire as a hit heroine.
FATIMA SANA SHAIKH and SANYA MALHOTRA : They got
the break of a lifetime when they cracked the audition for Geeta and Babita
Kumari Phogat. ‘Dangal’ has released this weekend and the world has fallen in
love with them and their bravura act. In one scene Sanya Malhotra literally
wrestles with Aamir and emerge victorious. Every time Fatima shouts ‘Chal
Geeta’ it gives us goose bumps. Go to a cinema near you and cheer for them.
It’s totally worth your time and money.
RATNA PATHAK SHAH : Better late than never.
The supremely talented Ratna Pathak never got many opportunities in film when
she was young but now she has reinvented herself as a new age mother in Indian
films. In ‘Kapoor & Sons’ she was nuanced, understated yet very effective.
MISSING IN ACTION:
DEEPIKA PADUKONE : She was busy shooting for her Hollywood debut 'XXX:
Return of Xander Cage' with Vin Diesel in different parts of the world which
explains her absence from Bollywood this year. Next up for her is the big
budget historical dance epic ‘Padmavati’ along with Ranveer Singh and
Shahid Kapoor and with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the director’s seat, her future
looks bright.
KANGANA RANAUT : Her very public verbal war with Hrithik grabbed headlines and kept
her busy most of the year. She has finished shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj’s
‘Rangoon’ which is all set for a February 2017 release. Then she will be seen in
Hansal Mehta’s ‘Simran’. I will jump the gun here and say that 2017 will be
Kangana Ranaut’s year. May be one more National award is waiting for her,
hopefully.
P.S: If I missed anyone, kindly let me know in your comments.
SO