2. Anushka Sharma in Pari
As a thriller, Pari failed to keep the audience hooked to its visuals. However, this was quite different from anything Anushka had previously done and if you focus on her performance alone, the actress did a rather commendable job.
3. Rajkummar Rao in Omerta
There is no doubt that Rajkummar Rao is a talented and celebrated actor. The sneak-peeks of Omerta had managed to give the audience high expectations too but the on-screen execution of the script didn’t match up to them. To Rajkummar’s credit, he gave his 100% to the character and deserved a lot more appreciation than he received.
4. Anil Kapoor in Fanney Khan
The storyline of Fanney Khan was undoubtedly superficial and had too many loose ends. One of the few and most prominent saving graces of this film was Anil Kapoor. It was a treat to watch the seasoned actor play the lead and make every moment of his screentime interesting.
5. Saif Ali Khan in Baazaar
Baazaar did decent business at the box-office, however, the movie received mixed reviews from both the audience and critics. I believe, Saif Ali Khan, did an applause-worthy job with Shakun Kothari’s character and it may have been overlooked due to a faulty plot and storyline.
6. Harshvardhan Kapoor in Bhavesh Joshi Superhero
This was the first of its kind superhero film in Bollywood. It was dark and addressed real problems but the story failed to leave a mark on the audiences. But Harshvardhan Kapoor played his part quite well. The transformation in his character from that of a guy who’s stuck in the corrupt system to a masked vigilante hell-bent on changing it was impressive.
7. Dulquer Salmaan in Karwaan
Karwaan was one of the movies that I had expected to be flawless, simple yet extremely entertaining – thanks to the trailer. However, in places, the makers seemed to try too hard to add more layers to the story which in turn takes away the audience’s interest. But Dulquer Salmaan, who marked his Bollywood debut with Karwaan, wins you over with his understated, guy next door act and has an engaging screen presence.
8. Rishi Kapoor in Mulk
The story of Mulk had potential and received positive reviews from a huge chunk of the viewers. But the highlight of the film has to be the strong yet underappreciated performance by Rishi Kapoor, who portrayed the character of Murad Ali Mohammed, a Muslim patriarch who was fighting for his family’s dignity.
9. Sanya Malhotra in Pataakha
Vishal Bhardwaj‘s, Pataakha received rave reviews but it wasn’t a film that would suit everyone’s palate which is why it didn’t break any box-office records. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Sanya Malhotra pulled-off yet another intriguing performance as the loud, brazen and foul-mouthed, Chuki.
10. Radhika Madan in Pataakha
Radhika Madan is a revelation in this film. Just like Sanya, who plays her sister, Radhika is her own brand of crazy and deserves applause for her performance.
11. Neena Gupta in Badhaai Ho
Badhaai Ho took all of us on a roller-coaster of emotions. While yes, Ayushmann Khurrana has done a fabulous job ad the lead, Neena Gupta‘s performance in the film deserves a lot more credit. She is one of Bollywood’s most talented senior actresses and every second of her screentime proves it.
12. Gajraj Rao in Badhaai Ho
I have been a fan of Gajraj Rao for a long time now and watched quite a few web series featuring him. He is an incredible actor who seamlessly slips into his character. As always, his portrayal of Jeetender Kaushik was impeccable.
13. Varun Dhawan in October
It’s no secret that Varun Dhawan is a commercial hero and masala entertainers are his forte. But he does have an eye for picking characters that aren’t mainstream and do justice to them, Badlapur, for instance. It was the same with his performance in October. He played a character that was quite different from anything he had played before. It was restrained and awkward and even strange but he got into the skin of his character, Dan seamlessly. However, the lack of typical Bollywood masala elements over-shadowed his impressive performance.
14. Shikha Talsania in Veere Di Wedding
Veere Di Wedding was a commercial hit at the box-office. However, the storyline and screenplay had quite a few flaws. Shikha Talsania, however, was a true treat to watch on-screen. She was one of the most relatable characters and didn’t look forced.
While most of these movies didn’t fare so well at the box-office, we are thankful for the amazing and applause-worthy performances given by these actors! 2019 has a great line-up of films as well, I am looking forward to a lot of them which seem to have distinct characters with substance.
Which actor do you think deserved more credit for their on-screen performance in 2018?