Best actress 2016
By Aditya Pisharody
As mentioned in our nominees for Best Supporting Actress, one of the most encouraging aspects of Bollywood in recent years has been the huge increase in women-centric movies. In 2016, the industry went further - from just telling stories of strong women, to actually pushing a strong social message as well. Pink, Udta Punjab and Kahaani 2 all shed light the issue of sexual assault and women's rights to varying degrees, and force the viewers to ask themself some uncomfortable questions. In Neerja, the biopic of air hostess Neerja Bhanot who helped save over 300 lives in a hijacking - the film-makers take special care to address her inner demons and how society sometimes prevented her from dealing with them effectively. Even Sultan briefly (if misguidedly) tries to promote the topic of gender equality before tossing it all out of the window and going back to Salman - but the fact that the attempt was there is itself significant. All the actresses tasked with pushing this message do so with aplomb, with Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor delivering career-defining performances that will last the end of time. At the other end, Swara Bhaskar and Kalki Koechlin both portray women dealing with life's challenges and trying to make sense of it all. It's a tough and packed field - as it should be. Here are our nominees for Best Actress 2016.
Note: each actor/actress is nominated for their entire body of work in 2016, not for individual performances. I.e. Alia Bhatt is nominated for her performances in all of Kapoor and Sons, Udta Punjab and Dear Zindagi - and not separately for each one.
Sonam Kapoor as the late Neerja Bhanot, re-enacting her heroic saving of over 300 lives in the hijacking of Pan Am 73 by terrorists.
sonam kapoor (Neerja)
Sonam Kapoor has always had her fair share of critics (including us on Bollywood Weekly) questioning her acting ability and being generally disdainful of her attitude and approach. After Neerja, even her fiercest haters had no choice but to stand and applaud. It was difficult to determine whether it was the role that was just tailor-made for her, or whether Sonam took it on with such ease that it seemed effortless – and that after all is the hallmark of a great actor. Sonam perfectly captured every aspect of the late Neerja Bhanot’s emotions – from her confidence and defiance in building a career, to the courage with which she confronts both her terrorist captors and her inner demons. One scene in particular stands out, where Neerja is in the airplane bathroom with the terrorist furiously knocking on the door. As the scene plays out, we see a parallel flashback of Neerja’s abusive ex-husband banging on the bathroom door while she cowers inside – trying to stay in control of herself and her emotions. We never thought we would see Sonam win a Critic’s Choice award for acting – but that scene alone makes her worthy.
Alia Bhatt plays 'Bauria', a Bihari migrant in Punjab who dreams of a bigger and better life.
alia bhatt (Kapoor and Sons ; udta punjab ; dear zindagi)
Where does one begin to describe Alia Bhatt’s impact on the film industry this year? The year began in solid rather than spectacular fashion – Alia definitely played her part in the excellent Kapoor and Sons, but by no means stole the show. The year ended on a high, with the universally-acclaimed Dear Zindagi – which could have easily been a spin-off to Kapoor and Sons given that Alia plays essentially the same character. With more space and focus on her though, she does deliver a more nuanced and emotional performance, and comfortably holds her own opposite Shahrukh Khan. Both these performances however, pale in comparison to what Alia accomplished in Udta Punjab. Quite simply, she was a revelation. The fact that someone with Alia’s privileged upbringing and experiences in life, could channel such raw emotion, grit and character is mind-boggling. She nails simply everything – her defiance in the face of adversity, her inner struggles when she doubts if she can have a good life after all, the accent unique to the interiors of North India, and even her hockey skills! No stone was left unturned (pun intended for those who have seen the movie). It is difficult to say more, apart from that this will forever be remembered as Alia’s coming-of-age and one of the iconic female performances in Bollywood.
Kareena Kapoor Khan plays the role of Dr. Preet Sahni, who is trying to expose the drug trade in Punjab.
anushka sharma (Sultan,ae dil hai mushkil)
Speaking of accents, Anushka Sharma’s Haryanvi accent in Sultan was the talk of the town when the movie released. While the focus later shifted to the feminism debate based on the choices her character made, Anushka’s performance once again reinforced her pedigree as one of the most accomplished and reliable actors in the industry. It is difficult to really hold your own as an actress in a Salman Khan movie, as the likes of Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Sonam Kapoor have found out in recent years. While Anushka is similarly relegated to the sidelines in the second half of the movie, that is purely due to the writers as opposed to her own presence. In the moments she is on screen, she is cracking as the firebrand Aarfa – a wrestler who is determined to stand up and be counted, and ends up leaving a significant impression on the audience Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was no different, with the only possible criticism of Anushka being that we didn’t necessarily see something from her that we haven’t before. That said, on pure acting ability – Anushka is definitely up there at the top.
Taapsee Pannu in a still from 'Pink', where she is on trial for the assault of a man who sexually harassed her.
taapsee pannu (PINK)
Barring perhaps Alia in Udta, you will struggle to find a more emotionally involved and draining performance than Taapsee Pannu’s – this year or any other. In the promotions to the film, it was revealed that Taapsee broke down at various points during filming. Playing a young woman who is intimated, physically abused and emotionally scarred by a group of entitled rich young men – and is then still blamed for the incident simply hit too close to home. This is something that nearly all women in India have felt at some point, to the point that our society is sadly desensitized to it. It may be optimistic to hope that Taapsee Pannu’s performance changes the fabric in India, but it is most certainly worthy of doing so. Bearing the burden of half a billion women in the country is no easy task, and Taapsee lets that struggle inform her performance. Her journey through the film is telling – initial defiance and a desire to fight her abusers slowly gives way to shock and anger at the way the system ignores her. Then fear sets in, as she begins to comprehend the scale of the fight in front of her – followed by weariness and resignation that this is how things are. For most women, it ends here – and Taapsee brings each separate node out fantastically. She doesn’t stop there though, and she continues to persevere and keep fighting – before she gets justice at the end. This is the message that the entire country – not just women – needs to heed, and Taapsee Pannu has done more than most to get that message out.
Swara Bhaskar plays the role of a housemaid, who goes back to school in an attempt to inspire her daughter to be successful.
swara bhaskar (nil battey sannata)
One of the most unheralded films of the year, Swara Bhaskar was deservedly recognized for her performance by winning the Critic’s Choice Best Actress category at the Star Screen Awards. Swara’s sincerity and authenticity is heart-warming. She is able to capture and express the struggle that so many working-class women in India face – the realities of income inequality. The determination with which she pushes her daughter to climb the socio-economic ladder – and pushes herself to do everything to make it happen, is inspiring. At the same time, she is equally adept at displaying a softer side – her motherly love and affection for her daughter Apeksha. With the industry’s tendency towards glamour and glitz, performances like this – and actresses like Swara – often go unnoticed. One hopes that this isn’t the case here, and we get to see much more of this fantastic talent.
Kalki Koechlin stars as Tara Deshpande, whose husband meets with an accident while on a business trip in Waiting.
kalki koechlin (waiting)
Ever since her eye-catching debut in Dev D, Kalki has always polarized opinions. While failing to convince mainstream audiences by her appearances in the likes of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani, she has built a strong cult following with films like That Girl in Yellow Boots, and Margarita with a Straw. Perhaps Kalki should stick to movies with English titles, as Waiting is another big success story for her. The film in fact is largely in English, and Kalki is able to capture the carefree, progressive urban vibe in her dialogue delivery and mannerisms. At the same time, she is splendid in laying bare the emotional turmoil her character has to go through – plagued by insecurity and confusion as her husband meets with an accident. Two scenes are particularly memorable: one where her husband is leaving from work, and the two newlyweds playfully tease each other displaying the kind of chemistry that is simply missing too often in mainstream movies. Another is when she is ridden with anger after believing her husband is cheating on her and interrogates his junior colleague. Her confusion immediately gives way to relief and guilt when she realizes the subject of her jealousy is actually a large, Tamilian man who is definitely not a love interest. It is about time Kalki received more recognition of her work, and if she keeps this up then it will surely be difficult to ignore her.
Vidya Balan as Durga Rani Singh in Kahaani 2, a wanted fugitive fighting for justice. She also played a policewoman in Te3n.
vidya balan (Te3n, Kahaani 2)
In the early 2010s, Vidya Balan was unstoppable and one of the key catalysts of the increase in women-centric movies produced in Bollywood. In 2009-12, she rattled off 4 consecutive Screen and Filmfare Awards for Best Actress with Paa, Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani – plus a National Award for The Dirty Picture – in a period that also featured the acclaimed No One Killed Jessica. Since then though, a series of mis-steps and commercial failures mean that she has fallen significantly behind her peers. In 2016 however, while the commercial success did not materialize – her personal performances returned to the highest standards. Starring as a no-nonsense policewoman in Te3n, Vidya’s silent aggression and no-nonsense approach is laudable. It is in Kahaani 2 however, where she really shines. Given that Kahaani was her last big success, there was a big buzz around the film and expectations were high. Both the film and Vidya lived up to the hype, even if demonetization meant that business was not great. Playing a child sexual abuse survivor on a mission to rescue her daughter (or so she claims), Vidya’s performance is stirring. She injects a sense of urgency, desperation and grit to the role, which keeps you at the edge of your seat throughout. Things seem to be looking up again, and we can’t wait.
Honorable mentions: Radhika Apte (Phobia), Diana Penty (Happy Bhaag Jayegi), Sonakshi Sinha (Akira)