New Delhi: 2021 was an incredibly challenging year for the film industry but some great content and stellar performances stole the attention of the viewers. These actors truly stood out from the crowd with their riveting performances and bold career choices, ushering a new era in cinema. Here’s taking a look at the breakthrough actors of 2021:


Kartik Aaryan in Dhamaka – With his boyish charm, humor and relatability, Kartik Aaryan had already won hearts in the romantic-comedy genre but with his latest release this year, the actor made a surprising shift in his choice of roles with ‘Dhamaka’. The talented actor proved his versatility in the hard-hitting drama and introduced audiences to a whole new side of his acting prowess. He delivered not only his career’s best performance but also one of the best performances of the year.


Kriti Sanon in Mimi – Truly the best performer of the year, Kriti Sanon, took on the role of a surrogate mother this early in her career; a bold risk that paid off and how! The young superstar not only shouldered the film and had the critics and audiences raving about her performance in ‘Mimi’, but also shouldered a sensitive concept of surrogacy. The film did for her what ‘Raazi’ did for Alia Bhatt and ‘Piku’ did for Deepika Padukone.


Vicky Kaushal in Udham - Making us believe that there's a revolutionary lying within all of us, Vicky Kaushal gave us another composed, matured and yet a riveting performance in ‘Sardar Udham’. The actor pulled off this patriotic, exquisite and gritty film with elan.


Tara Sutaria in Tadap - If there was one name who captivated us with her sheer screen presence, it was Tara Sutaria. The young actress completely justified her role in a mainstream commercial film like ‘Tadap’.


Nushrratt Bharuccha in Chhorii – It’s been quite the year for Nushrratt Bharuccha first with ‘Ajeeb Daastans’ for which she was nominated in the Best Actress category in the Asian Content Awards at the Busan International Film Festival and then with ‘Chhorii’. The film was a turning point in her career as she stepped out of her comfort zone and shouldered the film with a significant message. ‘Chhorii’ made many realize that it was high time we start recognising Nushrratt as a proficient actor.


Vidya Balan in Sherni - Constantly at odds with entrenched patriarchy, Vidya Balan in ‘Sherni’ fights tooth and nail for what she believes in. The actress stood out and made an impact minus the theatrics, even in the haunting silences.


Fatima Sana Shaikh in Ajeeb Daastans – Fatima has always been a versatile actor but her nuanced portrayal in the anthology ‘Ajeeb Daastans’ only went on to cement her position as one of the finest actors in the country. The actress made an impact even in silent pauses and was lauded for another great performance.


Abhishek Banerjee in Ajeeb Daastans, Ankahi Kahaniyaa and Rashmi Rocket – Abhishek Banerjee was celebrated on the OTT platform for ‘Ajeeb Daastans’ and ‘Ankahi Kahaniyaa’ and later with ‘Rashmi Rocket’ in an empowering role. The actor is already being hailed as a younger Pankaj Tripathi by his fans.  


Sohum Shah in Maharani- ‘Tumbbad’ fame actor Sohum Shah stepped into the shoes of a politician Bhima Bharti in Maharani, a powerful yet extremely complex character. What was interesting was that he gave a non-conventional performance of a character based on Lalu Prasad Yadav. Sohum proved that one doesn't need to emulate Bihari mannerism or diction, and can still pull off a powerful performance in an original style.


Vijay Varma in Ok Computer - Vijay Varma essayed the role of a cyber-cell officer, Sajjan Kundu, an ‘angry young geek’ in Anand Gandhi’s sci-fi satire. After his breakout performance in the 2019 film ‘Gully Boy’, he also impressed audiences with his performances in web series like ‘A Suitable Boy’, ‘She’ and ‘Mirzapur 2’.


Adarsh Gourav in The White Tiger – ‘The White Tiger’ was Adarsh Gourav's key to the world of cinema. He was conferred with IMDB's Breakout STARmeter Award for the film and it bagged him the drama series 'Extrapolations' where he shares the screen with the legendary Meryl Streep and David Schwimmer among others.


Farhan Akhtar in Toofaan - The force behind ‘Toofaan’, Farhan Akhtar, nailed everything from the boxing sequences to the emotional scenes that needed vulnerability. The actor went right down to the skin of the character and underwent a physical transformation for the role; to not just play ‘Toofaan’ but become one. 


Manoj Bajpayee in The Family Man 2 - Like most of his cinematic endeavours, Manoj Bajpayee outshined the rest in ‘The Family Man 2’. The actor had audiences hooked to the screen in the fast paced and humorous series. Formidable and magnetic, Manoj Bajpayee keeps to his title of being one of the finest actors of all time!


Kay Kay Menon in Special Ops 1.5 - Kay Kay Menon delivered another top-notch performance in ‘Special Ops 1.5’. The actor knocked it out of the park as he wades his way through murky politics, red-tapism and delivers poker faced remarks in his signature swag.


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