Top 10 heroines who swept the audience away in 2011

Top 10 heroines

Women-centric themes added power to the Bollywood platter this year and the leading ladies impressed with their boldness and intense acting. Actors like Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif gave the industry's menfolk a run for their money. Here're top 10 heroines of
2011:

1. Vidya Balan: She started the year with a stellar performance as a deglamorised, strong-willed simpleton in the real-life inspired No One Killed Jessica, and featured in cameos in Thank You, Dum Maaro Dum and Malayalam film Urumi. But for the 33-year-old 'bombaat' actor, 2011 ended with a bang with her sizzling portrayal of a dancing star, Silk, in The Dirty Picture. Vidya explored new realms to her acting potential, and emerged as a winner, overshadowing other commercially hit Bollywood divas.

2. Kareena Kapoor: Two films and both hits! Even after over a decade, Kareena stood out among her contemporaries with the record-breaker Bodyguard opposite Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan's mega-production RA.One. She also proved her dancing mettle once again with Chammak challo, which went on to be a huge chartbuster.

3. Priyanka Chopra: After an average 2010, Priyanka Chopra sprang back into action by carrying out seven different looks in Vishal Bharadwaj's critically-acclaimed 7 Khoon Maaf. In the character of a serial spouse-killer, Sussanna, the actress has displayed why she is a National Award winner at such a young age. She will round up the year as Shah Rukh Khan's 'junglee billi' in the much-awaited Don 2: The King Is Back.

4. Katrina Kaif: As a free-spirited, independent girl in the multi-starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, as a sexy item girl in Bodyguard or as the effervescent Dimple Dixit in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, this Britain-born girl has been proving her range with every passing year.

5. Kalki Koechlin: With four diverse films -- Shaitan, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, That Girl in Yellow Boots and My Friend Pinto - Kalki has been on a roll this year! Her easy and fluid portrayal of a mentally disturbed girl, a nagging girlfriend, a girl in search of her father, and a lost girl abandoned by her boyfriend, have reassured cine-buffs of her capacity as a new age, commercially-viable actress, who dares to choose different roles.

6. Kangana Ranaut: Year 2011 saw Kangana in a new avatar. As a bindaas Kanpur girl in Tanu Weds Manu, she gave her most desi performance ever. She followed it up with the role of a cop in Game, a supporting act in comedy films Double Dhamaal and Rascals, and featured in Miley Naa Miley Hum, which went unnoticed. However, Kangana's standing in the industry remains quite unaffected.

7. Rani Mukerji: Her fans got a treat after two years when Rani returned to the big screen in No One Killed Jessica. As a bold journalist, who gets the public together to demand justice for a cause, Rani delivered an image-breaking performance when she mouthed expletives and smoked a cigarette for the role.

8. Anushka Sharma: There's something that clicks about this Yash Raj Films find, despite average earners like Patiala House and Ladies VS Ricky Bahl in 2011. Anushka's vivaciousness, million-dollar smile and perfect dancing skills have catapulted her into the league of promising leading ladies of tinsel town today.

9. Deepika Padukone: At 25, Deepika has established herself as one of the more popular female stars of Hindi cinema. This year she strengthened her stance, not so much with her performances, but because of the elan with which she carried out the sultry song Mit Jaaye Gum; as the small town but confident girl in Aarakshan; and as the love interest of John Abraham in Desi Boyz.

10. Mahie Gill: Her films, Utt Patang, Not A Love Story and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster this year didn't mint enough money at the box office, but her performance, like always, was well noticed. The critically acclaimed actress continues to choose films away from tried-and-tested formulas, and garners appreciation galore.

Top 10 Bollywood actors that ruled 2011!

Top 10 Bollywood actors

From He-Man to funny man, from flamboyant to sombre - Bollywood's top notch actors have shone on the silver screen in various avatars and also kept the cash registers ringing. We list the top 10 actors of the year:

1) Salman Khan - He should be titled hit khan. If Bollywood's knight in shining armour bailed the industry out in 2009 and 2010, he boosted the box office business this year too with Bodyguard and Ready. In both, neither the content was premium, nor were the performances superlative, but what helped the actor stand out were the big bucks his films yielded at the box office, strengthening his position as a bankable star.

2) Aamir Khan: What one missed in Salman Khan's films was prominently present in Aamir Khan-starrer Dhobi Ghat. Aamir wowed his fans as a lonely painter in the directorial debut of his wife Kiran Rao, who deftly handled a bouquet of stories, travelling across various sections of society in the lanes and bylanes of Mumbai. The actor had just one release, that too, consciously designed for niche audiences, but everyone eulogised it, saying, "Wow! What a performance! What an actor!"

If that were not enough, Aamir was admired for daring to produce adult comedy Delhi Belly and the film's success further strengthened his image in volatile Bollywood.

3) Ranbir Kapoor: If his great grandfather, grandfather and parents are admired and respected for their cinematic genius, Ranbir Kapoor has proved that he is a true torch-bearer of the Kapoor khandan. The youngster excelled in his only release Rockstar, which was marred by a bad script. His role required a range of emotions and he stood out in every scene and kept the audiences hooked.

4) Shah Rukh Khan: Romance is his forte! But this time Shah Rukh Khan donned the garb of a superhero in RA.One to woo his fans. Though the film was not appreciated much for its content, his fans liked him as a geek scientist and as a superhero. He also earned praise for the use of technology, innovative marketing and promotional techniques to promote his product.

5). Amitabh Bachchan: Retirement? No way, says Big B. Instead he is grabbing central roles at the age of 69 and this year too he came out with two films Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap and Aarakshan - as different as chalk and cheese. If the former saw him as a flamboyant underworld don, the latter featured him as a college principal fighting for the rights of students. In terms of business, neither were money spinners, but as far as acting is concerned, Amitabh is Amitabh. He was terrific in both the roles and critics gave him a thumbs up.

6) Farhan Akhtar: When there is a huge star cast, it is not easy to make an impression. But Farhan Akhtar did that in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which also starred Abhay Deol and Hrithik Roshan. The art of acting is all about sensitivity, emoting, feelings -and Farhan got them all right.

7) Hrithik Roshan: Usually seen in over-the-top roles, Hrithik Roshan for the first time did a role that was slightly offbeat and closer to reality. If Kites didn't allow him to fly high in the sky, his performance in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara helped him unleash his potential as an actor.

8) R. Madhvan: An NRI, who belongs to a middle-class family, returns home to find a wife. He encounters a drunken girl, who is not interested in marrying him. But her spirit is such that he falls head over heels in love with her and it becomes heartbreaking for him to let her go with some other guy. Madhavan not only suited the role, but he revelled in it, earning plaudits from both critics and fans.

9) Abhay Deol: He emerged as the dark horse. Be it a doomed lover in Dev D or a smart thief in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye, he has effortlessly carried his roles in the past. He continued his winning streak as a confused lover in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

10) Saif Ali Khan: This Khan showed his sparks in Omkara and after that he embarked on a journey that showed his versatility. This year he had just one release in Aarakshan, which was not a super hit, but the film's box office performance didn't overshadow Saif's work. Critics felt he scored very highly in sincerity, subtlety and sheer screen presence as a Dalit boy in the movie, highlighting the reservation issue.