Jr NTR, Nagarjuna, Nani: Best performances in Telugu cinema this year

This year Telugu cinema has mostly delivered commercial movies with a handful of meaningful films thrown in between. However, what makes or breaks a film is the performances of the lead actors and there have been plenty of memorable performances this year to be happy about. So let us check out the actors and actresses who have shined on the silver screen in 2016.

Jr NTR

The famous Tollywood actor had a big release early in the year with Sukumar’s ‘Nannaku Prematho.’ The movie was a hit but the entire plot of the movie was revealed in the first fifteen minutes. So the only thing that made this movie a hit was Jr NTR himself, who carried the movie on his shoulders with his charisma, style and energy. His portrayal of the super sharp, witty and flamboyant Abhiram was absolutely spot-on.

Adivi Sesh

This actor rocked the Telugu film industry with his crime thriller, ‘Kshanam.’ The movie’s novel concept and gripping screenplay made the film a spectacular watch, but thanks to riveting performances by Adivi and his co-star Adah Sharma, the film transcended to another level altogether. Moreover, ‘Kshanam’ is Adivi Sesh’s film all the way, since he not only starred in it but also wrote the story and screenplay of the film!

Nagarjuna

Nagarjuna has plenty of reasons to smile this year. Both his films that released in 2016, ‘Soggade Chinni Nayana’ and ‘Oopiri’ have become superhits. While he entertained us all with his natural acting prowess in the former film, it was his performance in ‘Oopiri’ that truly deserved a standing ovation. The veteran Tollywood actor played a paraplegic billionaire who is depressed with life and his condition. Very few actors in Telugu cinema can compete with this performance that he managed to pull off naturally.

Karthi

The younger brother of Suriya couldn’t have asked for a better debut than ‘Oopiri’. The actor was the life of the movie and made the audience laugh with his hilarious antics, witty dialogues and goofy expressions. For an actor with limited experience, he matched the veteran Nagarjuna in each and every frame. The contrast in energy and nature of the two characters made ‘Oopiri’ a success and Karthi a star in his very first Telugu movie.

Nani

Nani has delivered two hits already this year and is gearing up for the third. While he was hilarious and charming in the comedy, ‘Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha,’ it was his performance in the romantic-thriller, ‘Gentleman’ that added a whole new dimension to his acting prowess. Nani, who has always been considered to be a chocolate boy of sorts stunned everyone with a really grey and somewhat sinister character in ‘Gentleman.’ On top of it, he had to play dual roles with a lot of contrast and he pulled it off amazingly well. Due to a wafer-thin plot, Nani became one of the best things about the movie.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Those who feel that Samantha only plays eye candy in films needs to see ‘Anusuya Ramalingam Vs Anand Vihari.’ A simple love story ensconced in a messed up family drama, the film would have been ordinary had it not been for Samantha. The actress displayed all her talent as a performer in this movie. She was funny, energetic, and charismatic. ‘A Aa’ is one movie where we can safely say that the heroine has overshadowed the hero. She is looking forward to make more actress-centric films in the future and we are eagerly waiting to watch her in action.

Nivedha Thomas

Another wonderful Telugu debut we witnessed this year was that of actress, Nivedha Thomas. After essaying supporting roles in Tamil and Malayalam movies, she made her Telugu debut as the female lead in ‘Gentleman.’ Nivedha was absolutely brilliant as Catherine, a woman who is trying to avenge and destroy the man who killed her lover. Nani is a great actor himself but Nivedha almost managed to overshadow the star himself in a few scenes. No wonder that Telugu cinema fans are in awe of her.