Rani Mukerji in No One Killed Jessica
With a string of duds such as Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic, Saawariya and Dil Bole Hadippa, 'Once-upon-a-time Queen Bee of Bollywood' Rani Mukerji's career was going downhill. Rajkumar Gupta still felt that no other actress could portray the feisty Meera Gaity better than Rani and cast the actress in a role tailor-made for her. This was a Rani you had never seen before, after all she used cuss words, indulged in a raunchy love making scene and even didn't mind puffing away to glory. However, there is no denying that Rani delivered a knock out performance in No One Killed Jessica, something which would be remembered for a long time to come.
Kalki in Shaitan
One of the most talked about and acclaimed films of the first half of 2011 is Shaitan. The film didn't boast of any big names but it did leave one and all speechless with its sheer brilliance and innovative execution of the subject. After impressing one and all in Dev D, Kalki yet again proved that she has what it takes to deliver in front of the camera. As the rebellious girl with a disturbed childhood, Kalki's Amy hit all the right notes and was easily among the highlights of this brilliant film.
Lara Dutta in Chalo Dilli Chalo Dilli is a special film for Lara Dutta in more ways than one as it marked her debut as a producer. While she did do a fine job of promoting the film in the right way, she also managed to do full justice to her character in the film. As the hoity-toity corporate Mihika, Lara displayed a rare maturity complimenting her co-star Vinay Pathak in every frame. The scenes in which Lara gets all harrowed after the long and gruelling road journey prove that given the right script and right director, this lady can surely act.
Chitrangda Singh in Yeh Saali Zindagi
Chitrangda Singh is known to be extremely choosy about the projects she does. After impressing one and all with her debut film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, the actress, who many called as the modern day Smita Patil, disappeared into oblivion. She was seen in few duds like Kal-Yesterday and Tomorrow and Sorry Bhai but those are best forgotten. Nevertheless the dusky beauty once again showed her acting prowess playing the scheming character of Priti to the T. Her scenes with Irrfan Khan were among the highlight of the film and surely this is one performance to take note of this year.
Kangna Ranaut in Tanu Weds Manu
Kangna has always proved her mettle as a fine actress in films like Gangster, Woh Lamhe and Fashion and she once again delivered a top notch performance as the small town girl Tanu in the surprise hit of the season- Tanu Weds Manu. While some may say her character had shades similar to the one portrayed by Kareena in Jab We Met, one cant deny the fact that Kangna was perfect for the part of the rebellious girl from Kanpur. Her chemistry with Madhavan oozed a certain amount of freshness and her 'thumkas' in the 'Kajra Mohabbat Wala' sequence left her fans asking for more. This is certainly among the better performances of the first half of 2011.
