2020 in review: Bollywood's breakthrough artists of the year

It was an unusual year for Bollywood and the Hindi entertainment space this 2020 with cinemas shutting down to stem the spread of Covid-19, but those measures did not stall talents from shining. Here’s a look at some of the faces that caught our attention...

MASABA GUPTA: Just like her zany and colourful creations, designer Masaba Gupta revealed that her acting skills were on point too. ‘Masaba Masaba’, a fictionalized Netflix series based on her life, unveiled the actress within her. Gupta held her own against her National Awardwinning mother Neena Gupta in the endearing and witty show.

VIJAY VARMA: Imtiaz Ali, Bollywood’s go-to director for romances, made his web series writing debut with the risque crime thriller ‘She’ this March. But the real breakout star from the new chapter in Ali’s career was actor Vijay Varma, who played the deliciously wicked and troubled narcotic kingpin, Sasya. Varma was at his seediest best in this dark thriller about a police constable woman who goes undercover as a prostitute to nab him.

TANYA MANIKTALA (right): She’s celebrated director Mira Nair’s discovery and she proves her worth in gold as she pulls in her weight in The Suitable Boy, a British miniseries adapted from Vikram Seth’s tome by the same title. Maniktala is luminous and graceful as the young woman Lata Mehra who isn’t keen on an arranged marriage, where the groom is decided by her mother and family. There’s a vulnerability about her that’s endearing in this series.

ALAYA F: For a new kid on the Bollywood block, Alaya F didn’t do too shabbily and held her own against National Awardwinning actors Saif Ali Khan and Tabu in her career’s first film Jawaani Jaaneman. The daughter of actress Pooja Bedi and granddaughter of Kabir Bedi exuded a confidence that belied her experience, and she played her part with admirable spunk.

TRIPTI DIMRI: Dimri made her acting debut in 2017 with 'Poster Boys', followed by her second romance 'Laila Majnu' a year later, but it was her 2020 supernatural thriller that put her on the map. 'Bulbbul', directed by Anvita Dutt, made her a star to reckon with overnight. There’s now a renewed interest in this new talent, who plays the title role in this period feminist fable. Dimri — as an enigmatic lady of the manor who is subjected to domestic violence by her husband — played her careerdefining role with impeccable and compelling conviction.

AMIT SADH: Right from his first film 'Kai Po Che' (2013), it was evident that Sadh had it in him to make it big. But 2020 was the year that truly tapped into his full potential. His turn as a no-nonsense, principled cop in the hit web series Breathe (1 & 2) and in Avrodh: The Siege Within established him as a performer to reckon with. He was equally impressive in 'Shakuntala Devi' along with Vidya Balan. Despite the pandemic, he had a prolific year filled with several releases.

JAIDEEP AHLAWAT: Here’s a big shoutout to producer Anushka Sharma for putting her money on Jaideep Ahlawat, one of 2020s most promising actors, in her dark thriller series Pataal Lok. The unassuming Ahlawat is splendid as a downon- his-luck cop who is eager to prove his worth to himself and those around him. His turn as a jaded Delhi cop tasked with investigating a foiled assassination attempt on celebrity news anchor Sanjeev Mehra, played efficiently by Neeraj Kabi, was a perfect antidote to the Bollywood’s indestructible, all-conquering cop.

SANJAY MISHRA: You always knew that Sanjay Mishra was a cracking talent, but it took director Hardik Mehta’s stirring and bittersweet film Kaamyaab to remind us about his nifty command over his craft. The seasoned actor did the heavy lifting in this tale of a fading background actor in Hindi cinema. Mishra was aptly cast as Sudheer, a retired extra who realises that he has done 499 roles in his uneventful career and tries to resurrect his career thinking his 500th roles could be a milestone in his life. Mishra’s transformation from a demoralised, disillusioned, out-of-work artist to a man determined to earn the dubious distinction of acting in his 500th role was remarkable and on-point.

JITENDRA KUMAR (left): Here’s an actor who won us over with his unassuming act in the hit satire 'Panchayat', a fun series on Amazon Prime. He played a young man who is forced to take on a no-frills job at a remote village as a panchayat officer, but finds his resistance eroding as he gets used to the small town and the simple-minded villagers around him. Earlier we knew him because of his viral videos, but it was this web series that made him a household name in 2020.

SAIYAMI KHER: Her debut romance Mirzya in 2016 was a forgettable affair, but she had our heart this year with the wicked comedy Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai. This film, out on Netflix, examined soulless suburbia and a dissatisfied married couple’s frustrations with aplomb. Kher as the troubled middle-class wife Sarita, who has an ordinary job, was portrayed by this actress with a disarming sensitivity and subtlety.

PRATIK GANDHI: Raise your hands if you googled this name after watching his riveting crime web series Scam 1992 on SonyLIV in which he played the notorious stockbroker fraudster Harshad Mehta. This Gujarati theatre actor’s stocks went up considerably after this hit series, directed by Hansal Mehta. Gandhi humanised a grey character like Mehta and played it with perfection. You almost felt sorry for the crafty and wily businessman, thanks to Gandhi’s compelling act and mannerisms.

PANKAJ TRIPATHI: This actor, who was known for his character roles in films, was on a roll this year. He proved his versatility with a string of releases this year including playing a doting father in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and to nailing the part of a wicked mobster in Ludo and Mirzapur 2 series. Tripathi is likely to end this year with a bang with Shakeela, out in the UAE cinemas now. In the trailer, he’s a hoot as he plays a smarmy matinee idol and a sexual predator. Tripathi came into his own in 2020 and experimented with a variety of roles this year. His body of work proves that he is that proverbial chameleon on screen and can pull off any part with conviction.

SANYA MALHOTRA (right) AND FATIMA SANA SHAIKH: We knew them as the Dangal girls who made a spectacular debut with superstar Aamir Khan in the hit wrestling drama. But in 2020 they proved that they were no one-hit wonders. Malhotra was remarkable as the troubled teenager in Shakuntala Devi and as a confused young woman in love and lust in Ludo, while Shaikh displayed her acting chops in Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari and Ludo. The two ladies have impressive screen presence and seem to have graduated from the effortless, natural school of acting. It was a joy to watch them perform and solidify their position as talents worth watching out for.

SUSHMITA SEN: The former beauty queen and actress always had a way with words and was wonderfully articulate in her interviews, but 2020 saw Sen make a fierce acting comeback with her web series debut Aarya. Sen played the central role in the thrilling series about a woman who’s drawn into the narcotics trade under duress when her family is under threat. We have always admired Sen’s vocabulary, but Aarya revealed the consummate actor in her. She seems in control of every scene in this series.

SWASTIKA MUKHERJEE: She’s a Bengali actor who burst into the Hindilanguage entertainment scene in 2020 with her compelling performances in Pataal Lok and Dil Bechara. Her role as a troubled, insecure housewife of a celebrity news journalist in Pataal Lok made her instantly recognisable and a talent worth looking up.