From 'Rock On!!' to 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag': How birthday boy Farhan Akhtar has redefined versatility with his stellar performances

Farhan Akhtar has proven that he is the 'Jack of all trades' with his versatility. From direction, acting, singing and now producing films as well, the multi-talented star has donned multiple hats with aplomb.

The birthday boy, who turns a year older today started his career as a director of 2001 hit flick 'Dil Chahta Hai' and has recently shared the screen with global sensation Priyanka Chopra in 'The Sky Is Pink'. But we give you five unmissable films of Farhan that proves his versatility on the silver screen:

Farhan Akhtar made his acting and singing debut with 2008 musical drama 'Rock On!!' which also starred talented actors like Arjun Rampal, Akhtar, Luke Kenny, Purab Kohli and Prachi Desai. Lending his voice to five songs from the film, the 46-year-old actor also flaunted his guitar skills on the celluloid. While the film received a good response from the audience as well as the critics, Farhan impressive performance opened the doors of acting for him.

Zoya Akhtar's 2011 film 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' which starred the likes of Katrina Kaif, Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin alongside Farhan, our birthday boy managed to steal the thunder with his happy go lucky character. Essaying the role of a writer and poet with a positive attitude towards life, Farhan managed to excel as an actor once again and proved that he can get into the skin of any character with ease.

Two years after 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara', Farhan returned to the celluloid as an athlete as he stepped into the shoes of Indian sprinter Milkha Singh, who is popularly known as The Flying Sikh. The film which was helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra saw the versatile actor flaunt a chiselled physique and even took his performance to the next level by delivering a masterpiece. Farhan's stellar performance in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' even helped him bag the Filmfare Award for Best Actor as well.

After proving his acting mettle, Farhan collaborated with ace filmmaker Bejoy Nambiar to star alongside Bollywood's stalwart Amitabh Bachchan in 'Wazir'. The film which ended up getting mixed reviews due to its predictable nature, Farhan managed to win over the audience with his compelling performance as a grief-stricken ATS officer in the crime thriller.

After impressing everyone with his stunning rockstar character in his debut film 'Rock On!!', Farhan experimented with his character and opted to play a struggling actor in his second film 'Luck By Chance'. While the film failed to excel at the box office, Farhan honest show on the celluloid proved his versatility as an actor and his willingness to give a hand at challenging characters as well.