THE LADIES WHO RULED 2016

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.

SONAM KAPOOR : She was born a fashionista. She was guaranteed to be a big star one day but 'Neerja' brought her respect. Now she is taking her steps cautiously. She has signed up with Hollywood talent management UTA (United Talent Agency) to strengthen her chances of working in the West. She will be next seen in her home production ‘Veere Di Wedding’ along with Kareena Kapoor Khan. She has become a bit choosy but don’t worry you can always catch her on red carpets, magazine covers and of course on her personal app.

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