R. Madhavan in Tanu Weds Manu
Madhavan has always proved his acting mettle time and again, however for some strange reason his solo films in Hindi have not really clicked at the Box Office. All that changed with this summer's surprise hit Tanu Weds Manu. The film had Maddy playing a NRI doctor who returns to his roots in search of a bride. Madhavan delivered a mature and restrained performance as Manu and was a perfect folly to the loud and talkative Tanu played by Kangna Ranaut. Clearly this was yet another commendable performance from Maddy.
Besides the above mentioned names, some of the performances which did impress in the first half of 2011 included Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi (Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji), Pitobash (Shor In The City), Arunoday Singh (Yeh Saali Zindagi), Prateik (Dhobi Ghat), Kartikeya Tiwari and Divyendu Sharma (Pyaar Ka Punchnama), Gulshan Devaiya and Shiv Pandit (Shaitan).
Abhishek Bachchan in Dum Maaro Dum Dum Maaro Dum was a crucial film for Abhishek Bachchan as the actor was going through a lean phase after duds like Raavan, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey and Game. The actor gave it all and more for his role as ACP Vishnu Kamath in this Rohan Sippy directed film. On a mission to wipe out the drug mafia in Goa, Abhishek's Kamath was a character you took back long after the end credits had rolled. Be it his body language or his dialogue delivery or his rap track 'Thayn Thayn', Junior Bachchan was in super form in this one and hence makes it to this list of Top Male Performances.
Vinay Pathak in Chalo Dilli
Vinay Pathak may have irritated the hell out of Lara Dutta's character in Chalo Dilli through his loud and crass behaviour but you can't help but appreciate this powerhouse of talent. As the loud and obnoxious Manu who keeps saying "Toh Kaunsi Badi Baat Ho Gayi", Vinay kept us in splits and even made us moist-eyed towards the emotional climax. In spite of Chalo Dilli not starring any big names, Vinay managed to carry the film almost entirely on his shoulders and that itself deserves kudos to this lovable actor.
Rajeev Khandelwal in Shaitan
After a superb debut in Aamir, Rajeev Khandelwal once again returned to the big screen in the much appreciated flick Shaitan. As the no-nonsense cop Arvind Mathur, Rajeev delivered a performance that both he and his fans would be proud off. While his introductory shot was stylishly filmed, the scene that remains etched in everyone's memory is the one in which Rajeev kicks an auto-rickshaw in anger when he refuses to ply. Surely here is an actor to watch out for in the days to come.
Akshay Kumar in Patiala House
In the recent past, Akshay Kumar has been seen mostly doing the buffoonery act in films like Housefull, Khatta Meetha, Tees Maar Khan, Thank You and Action Replayy. Hence it came as quite a pleasant surprise to see him play a mellow, restrained character in Patiala House. As a boy who is confused whether to chase his dreams of playing cricket for England or follow his father's order, Akki hit all the right notes which even got him critical appreciation. He conveyed a lot through his eyes rather than relying on dialogues and in the end came up with a commendable performance. Special mention must also be made of the fact that he did look convincing as a fast bowler.
