Year in Review: 10 Best Acting Performances of 2019

Shorey was reportedly struggling with his lines during the reading. But on the sets, he arrived like he was born to play the dacoit Vakil Singh. Few actors could have played the red-eyed, mustachioed gun-slinging baaghi with the explosive anger better than Ranvir.

After the over-the-top Simmba, Ranveer delivers one of his best performances yet as the understated Murad, a rapping prodigy looking for his one opportunity to seize everything he ever wanted. As he transforms from the working class boy transforming into a rap warrior, Ranveer holds his own even as he’s flanked by a bevy of terrific performances from Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz and Amruta Subhash.

Surely, a film about one of India’s greatest scientific leaps needed better than corny lines like “NASA se satya-NASA” and Akshay Kumar’s exasperating enthusiasm. The actor who holds the film together is Vidya Balan, who fluently plays the role of a scientist attempting an unimaginable feat while balancing her responsibilities at home as well as the dichotomy between her science and her faith.

Acting comes easy to the versatile Kaushal. But to look the part for Uri, he bulked up and underwent commando training. Out went the boy next door image and arrived the imposing and retribution-seeking Major Vihaan Singh Shergill bellowing the very iconic line: “How’s the josh?”

Few can play the working class Indian better than Nawaz, who plays Rafi, a photographer plying his skills at the Gateway. In stark contrast to Sanya Malhotra’s Miloni who’s a fair, middle class girl with academic chops, the inconspicuous Rafi is a simple man with no way to escape the mediocrity of his life. And yet he weaves a complex, label-less relationship with Miloni and offers her something only he can.

It’s not often that you see the supporting actor in a Hindi film set the tone for the lead. Chaturvedi’s wide-ranging skills and fluency as an actor are to be praised as he plays the lion-hearted MC Sher who mentors Murad to realise their shared hip hop dreams.

This year has been particularly exciting for the actress with four releases: Sonchiriya, Saand Ki Aankh, Bala and Pati Patni Aur Woh but it’s her turn as Indumati, a beleaguered woman on the run in Abhishek Chaubey’s dacoit-drama Sonchiriya where Pednekar shines the brightest. The actress portrays Indu’s exhaustive journey and steadfastness in protecting a young brutalised girl with great empathy and stands shoulder to shoulder with the film’s other consummate performers like Ranvir Shoery, Manoj Bajpayee and Ashutosh Rana.

This film is full of cinematic delights, clever comedy, stunning action sequences, and brilliant performances from the lead actors. But Gulshan Devaiah stands out in the double role of Karate Mani and his evil twin Jimmy. As Mani, Devaiah excels in the action sequences, but it's as Jimmy that he really shines with his extraordinary comic timing and penchant for madness.

Rasika represents a new breed of Indian actors producing powerhouse performances as everyday folk. She plays Ishrat, the mother of the child playing the titular role in this Kashmir-based drama. Rasika’s poignant performance as a woman grappling with the painful disappearance of her husband and struggling to answer her young son’s curious questions earned her unanimous praise and multiple awards.

In a film for the ages, Ayushmann plays Ayan Ranjan, an upper-caste elite who navigates the complexities of caste violence and dirty politics in rural Uttar Pradesh. The actor brilliantly portrays the confusions of being a freshly minted IPS officer coming face to face with the ugliness of caste hierarchy and recognizing his privilege in the process.