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Six months of 2020 are done away with, and now it is time to look back and see how Bollywood performed in the past six months. We have talked again and again about how lockdown has affected the industry so badly with theatres being closed down since mid-March, and looking at the ongoing outbreak, it is even unlikely that we can catch up Sooryavanshi on Diwali, as is the new release plan. Very good that it happens, but highly improbable. Half Yearly Roundup: From Kangana Ranaut’s Panga to Taapsee Pannu’s Thappad, 10 Best Films From Bollywood in the First Half of 2020!
The one silver lining in this amassing of dark clouds is that the OTT platforms came to the rescue of the bored viewers stuck at home, and with that, indie flicks also got to shine. Actors like Tripti Dimri and Jaideep Ahlawat were talked about in the same fervent admiration that used to be reserved so-called 'superstars' by the fans. So even if we didn't get to see much movies this year, as we are usually accustomed to, there have been some good gems and performances. Half Yearly Roundup: From Kangana Ranaut in Panga to Tripti Dimri in Bulbbul, 10 Best Performances by a Bollywood Actress in First Half of 2020.
In this special half-yearly roundup, we look at the 10 best performances by an actor in a Bollywood film in the first half of 2020.
Saif Ali Khan in Tanhaji
Before Tanhaji, We have seen Saif give better performances as a villain in Ek Hasina Thi, Omkara and Being Cyrus. His Udaybhan Singh Rathore is also a very problematic depiction of a real-life historical figure. But it was really see the Nawab of Pataudi lose his inhibitions and go on full ham, relishing in the blacks of his character. When your villain is this good, the movie becomes occasionally bearable.
Jassi Gill in Panga
After watching Panga, many of my female colleagues sighed and wished they had a husband like Prashant. While the character of Kangana's supportive husband is immensely likeable and well-written, credit also goes to the performance of Punjabi singer-actor Jassi Gill, whose infectious charm easily wins us over. Hope to see more of this wonderful actor in Bollywood!
Ayushmann Khurrana in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
Ayushmann Khurrana is a gutsy actor, no doubt, and he loves to push the envelope with the kind of roles he takes on. While I wasn't very pleased with his Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, I was completely taken with Khurrana's flair-y performance and his courage to take on a role that mainstream actors would think twice before choosing. There is depth in his funny act as Ayushmann challenges our reservations on homosexuality with a flamboyance only he can bring.
Sanjay Mishra in Kaamyaab
Sanjay Mishra is such an actor who can never go wrong in a movie, even if the movie can go horribly wrong. Thankfully, Kaamyaab isn't such a film, as it puts the spotlight on Mishra's amazing histrionics. As a retired character artiste looking to seek his glory days, Mishra is just amazing. Just watch his performance in the climax and try not to smile through tears.
Irrfan Khan in Angrezi Medium
It is heartbreaking to write this entry, because we are still trying to cope with the loss of this fine actor. Irrfan Khan passed away before Angrezi Medium came out, not being there with us, as we savoured one of his most heartwarming performances to date. Angrezi Medium may not be as good as its predecessor, though the writer loved it, but Irrfan is tremendous like he is always is, perfectly bringing out his comic timing and also excelling in emotional scenes. We will miss you, Irrfan sahib!
Vinay Pathak in Chintu Ka Birthday
Chintu Ka Birthday is quite sweet, and even sweeter are the performances of the cast. Especially Vinay Pathak, who shines the most as Chintu's father, whose good-heartedness is often misconstrued as meekness. He is an unusual hero, where he relies on seeking the goodness in others to save the others, and Pathak works out this character to a natural perfection.
Amitabh Bachchan in Gulabo Sitabo
Despite ruling over cinema for decades now, Amitabh Bachchan has this quality of surprising us with a unexpectedly great performance. His act of the amusing Shylock of old Lucknow in Shoojit Sircar's black comedy is something like that; a grey character that is one of Big B's best negative turns. Yes, the old-man prosthetics do hamper the way he emotes, but the legend compensates that with his body language and immaculate dialogue delivery.
Ranvir Shorey in Kadakh
Kadakh is an often hilarious black comedy, where every actor in its ensemble has done a fine job. But we can't help but single out the talented Ranvir Shorey, who is simply impressive as the married protagonist hiding a dark secret. Be it is hapless 'trapped-in-the-cage' anguish in the first act or his guilt-ridden agony in the second half, Shorey does incredible work in making his flawed character feel so relatable.
Jitendra Kumar in Chaman Bahaar
TVF fame Jitendra Kumar made a decent Bollywood debut with SMZS, where despite playing a gay character, his role was a bit too straight. He is far more flexible and focussed in this delightful indie gem that is on Netflix. His Billu is an anti-hero, very much as problematic as the bunch of horny boys that hand around his shop trying to impress the girl living in the opposite quarters. But Kumar's natural performance keeps it amusing, relevant and emotional, when needed.
Manoj Bajpayee in Bhonsle
Bhonsle is a slow-burn drama made on the lines on Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino, with Manoj Bajpayee playing a retired Marathi hawaldar. While the film is deliberately slow to depict Bhonsle's loneliness, it is Bajpayee's magnetic performance that keeps us invested in the snail-paced proceedings. As the film becomes more and more harsh, even his performance becomes grittier, and the actor just knocks it out of the park in the final scenes.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2020 10:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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