2021 was an incredibly challenging year at the movies but some great content and stellar performances stole our wholehearted attention and had our admiration. These actors truly stood out from the crowd with their riveting performances and bold career choices, ushering a new era in cinema.

Kartik Aaryan in Dhamaka – With his boyish charm, humor and relatability Kartik Aaryan had already won hearts in the romantic-comedy genre but made a surprising turn this year 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 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, truly put her on the map as a talent to reckon with!

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