While this year looked bleak in a lot of different ways for all of us owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was no different for the entertainment industry, too. But like a silver lining amongst the dark clouds, a few actors managed to shine through with their outstanding performances this year. Additionally, as viewers and filmmakers alike turned to digital OTT platforms, it gave a whole bunch of actors a chance to experiment with bold and interesting choice of roles and won us over with their nuanced performances and striking screen presence.
Here’s who we thought shone through with their performances this 2020:
Abhishek Banerjee
As the casting director of and actor in the very successful series ‘Paatal Lok’, Abhishek Bannerjee surely hit the bulls eye with this show! His intense portrayal of Hathoda Tyagi blew fans away and was certainly among the most talked about performances this year.
Pratik Gandhi
Known for being a popular name in Gujarati theatre and films, Pratik Gandhi made a flawless transition into the mainstream Hindi film industry with the web series, ‘Scam 1992‘ this year. The actor was widely praised for his portrayal of the infamous stockbroker, Harshad Mehta. He is even being hailed as the breakout actor of the year and that just makes us super excited to see more of him and his work.
Divyenndu Sharma
From the millennial blockbuster ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama‘ to the gritty ‘Mirzapur 2‘ and the crime drama ‘Bicchoo Ka Khel‘, Divyenndu Sharma has surely come a long way. The actor was a revelation in the successful shows and his characters are no doubt one of the most loved ones this year. He especially became one of the most loved villains with his portrayal of ‘Munna bhaiyya’ from Mirzapur, with his dialogues being made viral meme content on the internet.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
An actor par excellence, Nawazuddin constantly proves that he can take on just about any role thrown his way. He’s had quite the year starting with the comedy-drama ‘Ghoomketu‘, followed by his very nuanced performance in the crime thriller ‘Raat Akeli Hai‘ which had us all at the edge of our seats. Ending on a high note, Siddiqui also headlined Sudhir Mishra‘s satire, ‘Serious Men‘ and, not surprisingly, walked away with immense praise for his performance in it!
Deepika Padukone
She may be a superstar in her own right with her string of successful projects, but Deepika is never the one to shy away from challenging roles, She got under the skin of her character, Malti, for ‘Chhapaak’ with months of gruelling prep to step into the shoes of an acid attack survivor. To see her completely live the character and be so honest to it showed the courage she possessed as an artist — proving once again why she is the most revered actress in the industry today.
Pankaj Tripathi
It sure has been quite a year for Pankaj Tripathi! The immensely talented actor was part of some of the most talked about films and series’ of the year like Angrezi Medium, Gunjan Saxena, Ludo and Mirzapur 2. From comedy to heartfelt to absolutely intense, all of these projects saw him in completely versatile roles and he managed to nail each one to the T like only he can!
Sanya Malhotra
With only 4 years in the film industry and acclaimed films like ‘Dangal’ and ‘Badhaai Ho‘ under her belt, Sanya Malhotra is only proving why she is one actor everyone must sit up and take notice of. She held her own in the Vidya Balan-starrer, ‘Shakuntala Devi‘. She also managed to shine through like sunshine in Anurag Basu’s recent ensemble film, Ludo, that boasted of a stellar star cast. Her absolutely casual yet captivating presence really did win hearts all over!
Nushrratt Bharuccha
With the recent release, Chhalaang, Nushrratt Bharuccha finally came into her own as an actor. Previously known for bringing oodles of glamour and sass to her roles, the actor pleasantly surprised us all as the sharp-witted and balanced Nilu in the sports-drama. She held her ground opposite Rajkummar Rao and shone through the film. Now, this has just gotten us super excited to see more of this star on screen soon.
Rajkummar Rao
Now, if we have mentioned his name previously, how do we not talk about this talented actor? With ‘Ludo’ and ‘Chhalaang‘ to his name this year, the actor sure did display his versatility and skill as he did a fabulous job in both the films. And what’s new about that, amirite?
Fatima Sana Shaikh
Fatima Sana Shaikh sure is making us all sit up and realise that it’s time we move past calling her the ‘Dangal‘ girl and really take note of her through some strong performances this year. With Ludo and Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, she stood out for her acting chops and is sure someone I am super excited to see more of on-screen!
Radhika Apte
Radhika Apte is always making us sit up and notice her in anything she does and this time it’s not just acting. The actress did a stellar job in the crime thriller ‘Raat Akeli Hai’ alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui. She also marked her directorial debut this year with ‘The Sleepwalkers’ that’s gaining quite some momentum internationally.
These were some of the actors we loved this year! Who was your favourite? Let us know!