This year
witnessed some striking performances from our female actors proving that women
too can uphold a film on their shoulders. This has changed the outlook of not
just the audiences but also the industry scenario as producers, distributors
etc. can now bank on these stunning females who can lead the film all by
themselves. It has also increased scope for scripts that are highly content-driven
and portray women with more features than just showcasing their sex appeal or
dancing skills. 

Anushka Sharma in NH10: Anushka Sharma stunned the audiences with her bravo
performance in NH10  in which she not
only acted but also produced it. This brought her lot of name and fame not just
from the audiences but also critics who had high praises for her astonishing
acting skills in the film. Her role and performance both were tight scripted.
Playing an urban Mira, who goes for a small vacation with her hubby and meets
with some tragic happenings, making it horrific incident. Her performance was
highly appreciated and acclaimed.

Deepika Padukone
in Piku: The lassie actress Deepika Padukone who was dazzling at
top position last year for giving triple hit films, rocked this year as well.
Her choice of films is just getting better and better, and she proved this
when she signed Shoojit Sircar’s Piku.
Working with actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan and still shining out
with her performance was no child’s play. But she managed to do it all with so
much of ease in her acting. She so seamlessly marked a very strong performance
and earned more praises from everyone. More power to this talented and
versatile Diva!

Richa Chadda in Masaan: Richa yet again proved that she is a power house of
talent. She enthralled the audiences by her performance of a young woman ridden
with guilt of a sexual encounter ending in a tragedy. She brings a life to her
character giving us the feeling as it would really exist. She stands out
amongst her contemporaries by her choice of films and also her acting. By doing
Masaan she made it absolutely clear,
that she is a risk-taker. Like all her previous films, Masaan  too got her tremendous critical acclaim and rightly so.

Kangana Ranaut in Tanu Weds Manu Returns: After a huge success in Queen last year, Kangana was back with a bang this year with Tanu Weds Manu Returns, the second installment
of her much applauded film Tanu Weds Manu. Her
fans enjoyed the double bonanza of her double role in the film. Especially her
tom boy role in the film was truly the highlight of the film. She managed to
steal the show and how! Though other star cast supported the film in a
brilliant way, Kangana was, in true sense, the hero of the film.

Kalki Koechlin in Margarita with a Straw:  Kalki’s brilliant performance in Maragartia with a Straw bought her lot of praises, not only from
critics and viewers, but also from industry people. She made a brave choice to
take up role of a girl with cerebral palsy and sexual identity disorder. Kalki
very maturely got into the nerves of her character and portrayed it even
beautifully. She led the film and conveyed the difficulties her character faces
in the film.