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

The first half of 2020 is done away with, and for the first time in many years, we had so less films to choose when it comes to selecting our fave performance and movie. With the country under lockdown thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, theatres have been closed since mid-March and many of the films have either got delayed, while some made it to OTT platforms. With people stuck at home and with limited form of entertainment, it was OTT players' moment to shine. And with that, there was more exposure to indie flicks and delayed films to get the same levelling field as biggies. Half Yearly Roundup: From Kangana Ranaut’s Panga to Taapsee Pannu’s Thappad, 10 Best Films From Bollywood in the First Half of 2020!

And with indie flicks shining, it also gave the so-called outsiders to sparkle on par, or better, than the star kids or insiders. In the first half of 2020, even if we didn't have many movies to watch, we did have some incredible performances. Talking of the actresses, there have been some really good author-backed roles and some fantastic actors cast in those, who gave some wonderful performances.

In this special feature, let's look at the 10 best performances by an actress in Bollywood in the first half of 2020.

Kangana Ranaut in Panga

While we reserve our opinion on Kangana Ranaut's offscreen persona, we are in love for the actress' onscreen work. Kangana is a fantastic actress and in the hands of a good director, she can bring out some memorable acts. Panga, where she plays a former kabaddi player seeking comeback, is one such lovely film where she is just mesmerising and so damn fabulous!

Taapsee Pannu in Thappad

Taapsee Pannu is another fine actress, who is getting better and better with every film. One of her best performances was in Anubhav Sinha's Mulk. And now in his latest, Thappad, the actress is simple mind-blowing as a home-maker, whose seemingly blissful existence gets a rude jolt with just one slap. While Taapsee delivers monologues with aplomb, it is the silences where the actress shines the most.

Kiara Advani in Guilty

Guilty might be an okayish campus thriller revolving around #MeToo, but it has a few positives. Like a strong finale and a strong performance from its lead actress, Kiara Advani. The actress, whose previous film Kabir Singh was accused of underplaying her role, welcomed the author-backed opportunity with both hands and gave a very convincing portrayal of a rebellious college girl, who hides an emotional damage.

Radhika Madan in Angrezi Medium

Angrezi Medium is the late Irrfan Khan's film, alright, but it also equally belongs to the fast-rising Radhika Madan. From playing a squabbling mother in her debut to a dreamy teenager in AM, Radhika Madan has impressing us with successively amazing performances. It is a proof of her dexterity that she held herself on strongly against one of her departed actor's most heartwarming performances, turning one of the best daughter-father acts seen in recent times.

Yashaswini Dayama in What Are the Odds

Yashaswini Dayama is a talented actress who has been shining more on the indie circuit and web-series. In this quirky indie flick backed by Abhay Deol, she plays a  high-spirited teenager who forms an unexpected friendship with a high-achiever from her class in a day out of the school. Not only is she natural in the role, but Yashaswini also gives an infectious performance that is nothing but winsome.

Tillotama Shome in Chintu Ka Birthday

Chintu Ka Birthday is the sweetest Hindi film to come out this year, even if it is set against the Iraqi crisis. All the actors are too good, including an ever-dependable Tillotama Shome, who plays the titular little Chintu's mother. The scene where she calls out on her mother from picking on her meek husband is just another display of her powerful performance. Well, has this actress ever given a bad one in like ever? Chintu Ka Birthday Movie Review: Vinay Pathak, Tillotama Shome’s Zee5 Film Is One Heartwarming Celebration That You Shouldn't Miss!

Saiyami Kher in Choked

There are a couple of films in this list where the movie itself left us with mixed feelings, but the lead actress won us over. Saiyami Kher in Anurag Kashyap's black comedy is like that. After a forgettable debut in Mirzya, Kher let the world see that there is tremendous potential as an actress in her, being so highly believable as the Maharashtrian middle-class woman, who sees an unexpected windfall that comes through her drainage pipe. Need to see her in more Bollywood films.

Sayani Gupta in Axone

Someone really need to give Sayani Gupta more credit than she is getting as an actress. Be it playing the lower-caste woman in Article 15, a blind lesbian in Margarita With A Straw, a teenager in Jagga Jasoos or a chic girl in Four More Shots Please, she fit well in all those roles. But her best performance comes in this indie gem, where she terrifically nails playing a (half) North-Eastern girl. This girl is truly a bundle of incredible talent!

Srishti Shrivastava in Gulabo Sitabo

Gulabo Sitabo may focus on two deeply flawed men trying to outmatch each other in a game of egos. But it's the women who turn out to be the bigger players. While Farrukh Jafar's Begum turned out to be an unexpected winner, Srishti Shrivastava's Guddo excelled in her own games of seduction and powerplay. The young actress does complete justice to the role and gets away with the best lines in the movie.

Tripti Dimri in Bulbbul

Though she was really good in her debut, the haunting Laila Majnu, her-co-star Avinash Tiwary took away the major share of the praise. In this Netflix film, Tripti got the chance to reverse things, and boy, what a wonderful performance it turned out to! She was infectiously charming as the innocuous child bride, but it is her performance in the more scarring scenes that left us more terrified for her character. Did we just see a star being born?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2020 11:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).