New Delhi, Dec. 7 -- When a film fares well at the box office, it is an actor's star power which is credited for pulling the crowd to theatres. More often than not, an actor is the face of an Indian film- SRK's Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Salman's Ek Tha Tiger or Akshay's Rowdy Rathore. But do you think films will have the same fate without its leading ladies (in this case- Katrina, Anushka and Sonakshi) backing up our heroes? Not really!
On the basis of top 10 grossers of the year, vote for the best Bollywood female performer of 2012:
KATRINA KAIF
Ek Tha Tiger (Rs 186 cr)
Director: Kabir Khan
Actor: Salman Khan
Release dabte: August 15
Genre: Action/Romance
Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Rs 98 cr)
Director: Yash Chopra
Actor: Shah Rukh Khan
Releasedate: November 13
Genre: Romance/Drama
Katrina romanced the two Khans of our industry this year- arch rivals Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. She reunited with ex-flame Salman in Ek Tha Tiger and the late Yash Chopra's last directorial venture saw her sharing screen space with SRK. With both these films, Katrina's acting graph is soaring high. She delivered convincing performances and made her presence felt. Beware everyone, Kat is not just a pretty face anymore!
SONAKSHI SINHA
RowdyRathore (Rs 133 cr)
Director: Prabhudeva
Actor: Akshay Kumar
Releasedate: June 1
Genre: Action/Drama
Son of Sardaar (Rs 85 cr)
Director: Ashwni Dhir
Actor: Ajay Devgn
Releasedate: November 13
Genre: Action/Comedy
Both films were dominated by their heroes- Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn. Sonakshi still managed to somewhere hold her own in the limited space alloted to her. Her USP? Curvy figure and desi girl appeal. Also, she emotes really well. Don't forget, Sinha girl is also a part of Dabangg 2, which releases on December 21 this year.
PRIYANKA CHOPRA
Agneepath (Rs 120 cr)
Director: Karan Malhotra
Actor: Hrithik Roshan
Releasedate: Januray 26
Genre: Action/Drama
Barfi! (Rs 106 cr)
Director: Anurag Basu
Actor: Ranbir Kapoor
Releasedate: September 14
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Agneepath was all about Hrithik Roshan and Sanjay Dutt, but Priyanka did make herself count as Kaali Gawde. Similarly, Barfi was Ranbir's film but if not outshine him, she did give him a run for his money with her fantastic portrayal of an autistic girl. Priyanka is all up for experimenting with different kind of roles and that's what sets her apart.
ILEANA D'CRUZ
Barfi! (Rs 106 cr)
Director: Anurag Basu
Actor: Ranbir Kapoor
Releasedate: September 14
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Ileana D'Cruz made her acting debut with Barfi and how! Her portrayal as a city girl who falls for a small-town deaf-mute guy was as convincing as it can get. Not only did she look great, but her act was widely applauded. She wasn't the one to be missed even though Ranbir and Priyanka were part of the cast. Her USP is definitely her acting proficiency.
ASIN THOTTUMKAL
Bol Bachchan (Rs 100 cr)
Director: Rohit Shetty
Actor: Ajay Devgn
Releasedate: July 6
Genre: Action/Comedy
Asin has slowly carved her way to become one of the most popular actresses in Bollywood. This year, she was a part of Bol Bachchan which made it to the Rs. 100-crore club. She is also featuring in recently released Akshay Kumar's Khiladi 786, which is likely to become one of the top grossers of this year. What makes Asin special- she is a bindaas performer.
ANUSHKA SHARMA
Jab Tak Hai Jaan (Rs 98 cr)
Director: Yash Chopra
Actor: Shah Rukh Khan
Releasedate: November 13
Genre: Romance/Drama
The Rab Ne Banadi Jodi girl has come a long way. Not everyone gets to be a Yash Chopra heroine after all. The film was about the love story between SRK and Katrina but still Anushka made her presence felt. Her biggest plus is that she is an uninhibited actress, with 'bring it on' as her tagline!
DEEPIKA PADUKONE
Cocktail (Rs 75 cr)
Director: Homi Adajania
Actor: Saif Ali Khan
Releasedate: July 13
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Deepika Padukone was the 'it' factor in Cocktail which got many going to theatres. Her chemistry with both Saif and other lead Diana Penty was the catch of the film. And of course, she has the body to die for. The Padukone babe was also appreciated for her performance in the film. Deepika has that X-factor which sets her apart from the crowd.
DIANA PENTY
Cocktail (Rs 75 cr)
Director: Homi Adajania
Actor: Saif Ali Khan
Release date: July 13
Genre: Romance/Comedy
Diana Penty made her Bollywood debut with Cocktail and didn't get over-shadowed by Deepika's strong screen presence. Her girl-next-door look totally worked in her favour. She certainly has some class and let's see where she goes from here.
NOTE:
Figures are reported by IMDb.
JTHJ, SOS are still running in theatres and their figures will increase.
Housefull 2 (Rs 113 cr) actresses are not on the list as it was a multi-starrer film. OMG! Oh My God (Rs 81 cr) didn't have any lead actress. Both these films are in the top 10 grossers list.
Recently released films- Talaash and Khiladi 786- may make it to this list. Also, Dabangg 2 which is slated for December 21 release, is expected to be one of the biggest grossers of 2012.
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Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.