- Tabu—Fitoor
- Rishi Kapoor—Kapoor & Sons
- <strong><a href="/lifestyle/art-and-culture/5-times-koffee-with-karan-left-us-in-splits">Ranbir Kapoor</a></strong><strong>—Ae Dil Hai Mushkil</strong>
- Alia Bhatt —Udta Punjab
- Amitabh Bachchan—Pink
Tabu—Fitoor

When you have Tabu as a part of a movie, expect her to steal the show even if it stars Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapoor. Precisely what happened with Fitoor. Her portrayal of the crafty Begum Hazrat, where she manages to strum all the right chords—at one point you pity her while in another, you detest her. The kind of drama she brings to the movie, you know there’s a reason why only she can save a film like this.
Rishi Kapoor—Kapoor & Sons

Playing a jolly old man in a dysfunctional family was Rishi Kapoor in Kapoor & Sons. Despite the unsightly prosthetic makeup, Kapoor shines in the film, thanks to his humorous antics. Be it the scene where he has a face pack on or the shot where he’s lusting after Mandakini’s wet sari on his iPad—his presence really did get the audience smiling. It’s a film that’s heavy on the heart but Kapoor surely gives you those laughs amidst all the drama.
<strong><a href="/lifestyle/art-and-culture/5-times-koffee-with-karan-left-us-in-splits">Ranbir Kapoor</a></strong><strong>—Ae Dil Hai Mushkil</strong>

RK Jr. had been rather vocal about his rough patch at the movies until Ae Dil Hai Mushkil came by. And boy, did he make the most of this opportunity or what! Kapoor tells his story of unrequited love beautifully, thanks to his superior acting chops, expressive eyes and heart-aching dialogues. Sure, the film had an iffy storyline but trust a gifted actor like Ranbir to give it his all to romance and drama.
Alia Bhatt —Udta Punjab

Alia Bhatt may have tip-toed into Bollywood with the ditzy-girl vibe but if you thought she was just another prop of glamour in the movies, she proved time and again since Student Of The Year that she was a powerhouse performer. This year it was Udta Punjab where she did just about everything right—from acing the Bihari accent to her vulnerability and pain on celluloid. Here’s hoping you win all the awards this year, girl!
Amitabh Bachchan—Pink

Pink was a movie so important in a misogynistic society as ours and only a revered star like Amitabh Bachchan could’ve told this story so convincingly. Almost every actor in the movie deserves a standing ovation but AB proves yet again that an actor, whose career spanning over four decades, is still such a genius when it comes to his craft. His courtroom scenes were nothing short of spectacular where he tells the audience that when a woman says no, she means no. If it broke any stereotypes in your head, it is because of this movie and the stellar performer that is Bachchan.
Written by Chandni Ghosh on 2nd Dec 2016