Most memorable performances of 2021

2021 was an incredibly challenging year at the movies but some great content and stellar performances stole our wholehearted attention and had our admiration. These actors truly stood out from the crowd with their riveting performances and bold career choices, ushering a new era in cinema.

With his boyish charm, humour and relatability Kartik Aaryan had already won hearts in the romantic-comedy genre but made a surprising turn this year with 'Dhamaka'. The talented actor proved his versatility in the hard-hitting drama and introduced audiences to a whole new side of his acting prowess. He delivered not only his career-best performance but also one of the best performances of the year.

Truly the best performer of the year, Kriti Sanon, took on the role of a surrogate mother this early in her career; a bold risk that paid off and how! The young superstar not only shouldered the film and had the critics and audiences raving about her performance in 'Mimi', but also shouldered a sensitive concept of surrogacy. The film did for her what 'Raazi' did for Alia Bhatt and 'Piku' did for Deepika Padukone, truly put her on the map as a talent to reckon with!

Making us believe that there's a revolutionary lying within all of us, Vicky Kaushal gave us another composed, mature yet riveting performance in Udham. The actor pulled off this patriotic, exquisite and gritty film with elan.

If there was one name who captivated us with her sheer screen presence, it was Tara Sutaria. The young actress completely justified her role in a mainstream commercial film like Tadap, a natural whom you just can't take your eyes off!

It’s been quite the year for Nushrratt Bharuccha first with 'Ajeeb Daastaans' for which she was nominated in the Best Actress category in the Asian Content Awards at the Busan International Film Festival and then with 'Chhorii'. The film was a turning point in her career as she stepped out of her comfort zone and shouldered the film with a significant message. 'Chhorii' made many realize that it was high time we start recognising Nushrratt as a proficient actor. Not to forget what a fabulous performance she delivered in 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety'.

Constantly at odds with entrenched patriarchy, Vidya Balan in 'Sherni' fights tooth and nail to fight for what she believes in. The actress stood out and made an impact minus the theatrics, even in the haunting silences.

Fatima has always been a versatile actor but her nuanced portrayal in the anthology 'Ajeeb Daastaans' only went on to cement her position as one of the finest actors in the country. The actress made an impact even in silent pauses and was lauded for another great performance.

Abhishek Banerjee was celebrated on the OTT platform for 'Ajeeb Daastaans' and 'Ankahi Kahaniyaa' and later with 'Rashmi Rocket' in an empowering role. The actor is already being hailed as a younger Pankaj Tripathi, a huge compliment might we add!

Tumbbad fame actor Sohum Shah stepped into the shoes of a politician Bhima Bharti in 'Maharani', a powerful yet extremely complex character. What was interesting was that he gave a non-conventional performance of a character based on Lalu Prasad Yadav. Sohum proved that one doesn't need to emulate Bihari mannerism or diction, and can still pull off a powerful performance in an original style.

Vijay Varma essayed the role of a cyber-cell officer, Sajjan Kundu, an “angry young geek” in Anand Gandhi presented sci-fi satire. After his breakout performance in the 2019 film 'Gully Boy', he earlier impressed audiences with web series like 'A Suitable Boy', 'She and Mirzapur 2'.

'The White Tiger' was Adarsh Gourav's key to the world of cinema. He was conferred with IMDB's Breakout STARmeter Award for the film and it bagged him the drama series 'Extrapolations' where he shares the screen with the legendary Meryl Streep and David Schwimmer among others.

The force behind 'Toofaan', Farhan Akhtar, nailed everything from the boxing sequences to the emotional scenes that needed vulnerability. The actor went right down to the skin of the character and underwent a physical transformation for the role; to not just play 'Toofaan' but become 'Toofaan'.

Like most of his cinematic endeavours, Manoj Bajpayee outshined the rest in 'The Family Man 2'. The actor had audiences hooked to the screen in the fast-paced and humorous series. Formidable and magnetic, Manoj Bajpayee keeps to his title of being one of the finest actors of all time!

Kay Kay Menon delivered another top-notch performance in 'Special Ops 1.5'. The actor knocked it out of the park as he wades his way through murky politics, red-tapism and delivers poker-faced remarks in his signature swag.