Abhishek Anand's video: 5 actors who stunned us with their powerful performances in the first half of 2016 -review

Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor – 5 actors who stunned us with their powerful performances in the first half of 2016! Many trends changed and box office was left surprised a little too often. And all were made possible thanks to some of the incredible performers this year. Let us tell you how... That time of the year, when we applaud the best so far… The first half of the year went past in a jiffy. Only a few days back we welcomed a new year and we have already finished 6 months of it. Fortunately, we were served with some of the best movies in the first half itself which has made us increasingly hopeful about what’s coming next. It wouldn’t have been possible without some crackling performances. Let us tell you about a few actors who left critics and audience really happy, regardless of their films’ box office outcome. Akshay Kumar Two films and Akshay Kumar is already the most profitable actor this year. It all started with Airlift. A brilliant concept, excellent storytelling and great performance by Akshay made it a profitable venture. It was a flawed character and not a heroic one at the start. Akshay portrayed the vulnerability of Ranjit Katiyal so well that it’s easily his most sensible performance ever. You could actually feel the pain when he wails to see his family gone. Later, Akshay returned at the theatres with a multi-starrer rib tickler Housefull 3 . His comic timing is impeccable and everyone knows it; there is nothing to say about it. But just look at the variety. Within a couple of months of doing a hard-hitting Airlift, he switched to a banal jokes laced film called Housefull 3. Versatility in this man is simply inspiring. Today, give him any genre and he will excel. Shahid Kapoor Haider proved Shahid Kapoor is not just a hot guy but a good actor too. However, with Udta Punjab he proved he can do any kind of roles only if the director has faith in him. He took Tommy Singh to an altogether different level. It’s dark, gritty and so unlike anything we have seen this guy do. He was simply brilliant. It’s a class act. After a candyfloss Shandaar, Udta Punjab was his redemption and he got it done. No wonder the actor felt a bit disturbed with the film too. Rather than films, he needs filmmakers who has the capability of exposing the actor in him and Vishal Bharadwaj and Abhishek Choubey are too such magicians. His histrionics in the film made many call it his best performance ever and we agree. Shah Rukh Khan Yes, Fan is a flop, it’s one of Shah Rukh Khan’s biggest disappointments. But then every time SRK has put out his actor self in the open, people have rejected him, barring Chak De India which says a lot about what audience wants to see him doing – more Dilwales, we guess! But the actor still does films to satisfy the creative guy in him and Fan is one of them. Every critic worth their salt have showered praises on him. People celebrated his return as an actor. It is the film that failed him and not him. It is his career’s best performance till date. Randeep Hooda Yes, Fan is a flop, it’s one of Shah Rukh Khan’s biggest disappointments. But then every time SRK has put out his actor self in the open, people have rejected him, barring Chak De India which says a lot about what audience wants to see him doing – more Dilwales, we guess! But the actor still does films to satisfy the creative guy in him and Fan is one of them. If he was the fan who embodied us, he was also the cautious superstar. Two diverse roles, two different body languages, two different human beings both done by a single actor, Shah Rukh Khan. If he was deeply convincing as a fan, he was also lovable and sensible as the superstar. After Dilwale, this film proved why SRK is still relevant because he dared to be different even when the film failed him. People celebrated his return as an actor. Fawad Khan The name Fawad Khan ensues collective sighs from girls. He is everything we want in our guys but then there can be only one Fawad. He started his Bollywood career with a safe and hot Princely role in Khoobsurat but his second attempt won him more fans than the first. He played a homosexual in Kapoor & Sons which wasn’t caricaturish at all and very mature. It’s really brave for an actor who is new to Bollywood, to attempt something so out of the box early in his career but he did so with so much conviction that all people remember from that film is his performance. But then delivering sound performances comes easy to him, thanks to his successful stint in Pakistani TV shows which are top notch.