Best Of 2021: 15 Indian Actors Who Delivered Breakthrough Performances And Garnered Praises!

2021 was another year of brave stories, potent antagonists and remarkable performances. While actors like Vidya Balan and Manoj Bajpayee were names that didn't surprise us as they have always been consistent, several others delivered strong performances, despite having just a little screentime.

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Thanks to streaming platforms, the 'star' culture didn't take away a fair chance from several deserving actors and gave them opportunities they truly deserved.

(Also read: Money Heist, Schitt's Creek Make It To BBC¡¯s 100 Greatest TV Series Of The 21st Century!)

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Be it Sunny Hinduja or Adarsh Gourav, 2021 proved to be a game-changer for several actors. Here's a list of 15 actors who proved that every actor has a fair chance of making it big with talent and the right kind of opportunity! Read on.

1. Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger)

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Adarsh made his debut with 'The White Tiger' alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajkummar Rao. For his performance, the actor even earned a nomination at BAFTA for the Best Leading Actor. The actor will be seen in Zoya Akhtar's next 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan'.

Adarsh has also been dropped in for an international project, 'Extrapolations'.

Adrash will be sharing the screen space with refined actors like Meryl Streep, Kit Harington, David Schwimmer, Sienna Miller, Tahar Rahim, Matthew Rhys, Daveed Diggs, and Gemma Chan. As per Deadline, 'Extrapolations', which is currently in production, tells the stories of how the upcoming changes to the planet will affect love, faith, work and family on a personal and human scale.

2. Anupam Tripathi (Series: Squid Game)

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He is fondly known as 'Ali' by his fans. Anupam Tripathi, the India-born, Korea-based actor of Netflix's global series 'Squid Game'. The series went on to become an international sensation. Tripathi plays Ali Abdul, a Pakistani economic migrant to South Korea who is one of the hundreds of deep-in-debt people roped into a deadly contest based on Korean playground games.

"We felt that it will be received well, but when it became a phenomenon and sensation, it was not expected - I was not prepared," Tripathi told Variety about not seeing the fate of the show when he had signed up for it.

3. Samantha Prabhu (Series: The Family Man-Season 2)

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2021 was a particular year for Samantha as she managed to strike gold by making her mark on the pan-India audience with Prime Video's web series 'The Family Man 2'. The show catapulted her to fame and popularity. Several reports suggest that Samantha is all set to make her Bollywood debut.

Reports suggest that Samantha has been approached for an exciting role, and the film will be produced by Taapsee Pannu's home production.

4. Fahad Faasil (Movie: Malik)

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After earning praises for his roles in movies like Taking Off, Maheshinte Prathikaram, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Njan Prakashan, Kumbalangi Nights, Super Deluxe, C U Soon and Joji, the actor has been called the ¡°messiah¡± of contemporary Malayalam cinema. In 2021, he received nationwide acclaim from critics and positive feedback from his fans.

5. Konkona Sensharma (Anthology: Geeli Pucchi- Ajeeb Daastaans)

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Konkona Sen Sharma barely disappoints. When it comes to portraying the vulnerabilities and complexities of a character, no one does it better than her/ As a factory worker, who is often discriminated against at the workplace because of her gender and cast, Konkona does an enviable job at telling the story.

6. Sanya Malhotra (Movie: Pagglait)

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2021 was royally owned by leading ladies who led the bandwagon to tell some of the bravest stories of 2021. Sanya Malhotra starred in the movie to tell a bittersweet self-discovery journey of a young widow. The film showcased how women are seen in a patriarchal society, with others taking their decisions for them. From delivering quirky lines to lightening up the mood of a tragic situation, Sanya slipped into the character perfectly.

7. Pooja Bhatt ( Series: Bombay Begums)

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Bombay Begums, directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, unfolded the stories of brave women who were seen chasing their dreams and desires. Despite belonging to different strata of society, they all fought against all odds and trod other challenges to survive in a ruthless city like Mumbai.

Bhatt played Rani, the CEO of a private bank, who goes on her journey of tackling the murky corporate world while simultaneously pulling off duties of a wife and a mother. Bhatt rules the screen with a power-packed performance.

8. Abhishek Banerjee (Anthology: Ajeeb Daastaans and Ankahi Kahaniya)

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Abhishek Banerjee's trajectory as performance has been inspiring. After making heads turn with Paatal Lok in 2020, 2021 has been exceptional for him. It brought his acting prowess to its full glory with projects like 'Ajeeb Daastaans', 'Helmet', 'Ankahi Kahaniyan' and 'Rashmi Rocket'.

The actor will reportedly now make a mark in Telugu cinema with a yet-to-be-titled film, alongside Anand Deverakonda and Manasa Radhakrishnan.

9. Amruta Subhash (Series: Bombay Begums)

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The National School of Drama graduate had already made her mark in the Marathi film and theatre circuit. Thanks to Zoya Akhtar, who roped her for her musical drama Gully Boy as Murad¡¯s (Ranveer Singh) mother Razia that Amruta received the attention of the mainstream Hindi cinema.

Subhash gained validation and praises for being a fiery bar dancer and single mother Lily in the Netflix series Bombay Begums. In Ram Madhavani's 'Dhamaka', she will also be seen as a passionate and aggressive boss at a news organisation.

10. Mohit Raina (Series: Mumbai Diaries 26/11)

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Mohit Raina, who began his journey as a Television actor, has been overwhelmed with all the love coming his way for his role in 'Mumbai Diaries 26/11'. The Nikhil Advani directorial, released on Amazon Prime Video, chronicles the fateful night of the terrorist attack in the city and how the medical fraternity dealt with the tragic emergency.

The eight-episode series also stars Konkona Sen Sharma, Shreya Dhanwantary, Satyajeet Dubey, Natasha Bharadwaj, etc. The actor, who played a soldier in the military film 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', was also seen in Sunny Kaushal and Radhika Madan's romantic movie 'Shiddat'. Even in a supporting role, Raina never fails to leave a mark.

11. Vaibhav Raj Gupta (Series: Gullak 2)

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The actor was also seen in the film Noor in the year 2017 with Sonakshi Sinha. De Instagram spite his projects and appearances in movies and ads, nothing was working out for Vaibhav, but Gullak changed his life. The actor, fondly known as 'Annu', his name in Gullak, has had a rewarding year.

The second edition of the show received more praise when families watched the series together during the lockdown.

12. Pavan Malhotra (Series: Grahan and Tabbar)

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"Maar Maar Ke Tumba Bana Dena hai.." says Geet's hot-blooded but fun uncle from Jab We Met (2007). It's also hard to forget Shah Rukh Khan's supportive friend from Pardes (1997). To sum up, there are no right words, to sum up his journey of over three decades as the actor has managed to taste success in different ways. Sometimes by getting more work and sometimes by getting offered better roles.

After leaving a mark in TV and films, Malhotra stepped into the world of OTT. Success came to Malhotra in the form of two critically acclaimed and loved show shows, 'Tabbar' and ¡®Grahan'. If you are yet to watch these, maybe the right time is now.

12. Supriya Pathak (Series: Cartel and Tabbar)

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Supriya Pathak needs no introduction. Be it her role as Hansa or her role as a vulnerable mother in 'Wake Up Sid', Supriya Pathak has always won hearts. With Tabbar and Cartel, she proved that no matter what the medium is, she will always deliver a remarkable performance.

13. Sunny Hinduja (Series: Aspirants and The Family Man)

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An FTII alumnus, Sunny's stint as an actor, began with Cycle Kick's film, shot during his college days in 2006. Hinduja struggled for a decade and played different roles in Pinky Memsaab, Long Live Brij Mohan, Valentine¡¯s Night, Home, Bhaukaal, Rasbhari, Jamun, Mum Bhai and more.

However, things started looking up for Sunny when he got roped in for Raj and DK's Family Man; Milind plays a TASC officer and Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpayee). His role became even more significant in 2021 n the sequel of the series. 2021 has been satisfying for Hinuja as, before Family Man 2, he was already basking in the success of the TVF series Aspirants, where he played Sandeep Bhaiya.

14. Sidharth Malhotra (Movie: Shershaah)

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It's safe to Say that Sidharth Malhotra's life will be divided into 'Before-Shershaah' and 'After-Shershaah'. At a fruitful turning point of his career, Sidharth Malhotra gave a sincere attempt to tell one of the bravest stories of a brave soldier Vikram Batra in Shershaah.

Be it his scenes with Kiara, where he is seen as a committed lover or his parts as a dutiful soldier and solid team made, Malhotra has aced this film like he was born to play the role!

15. Aditi Rao Hydari (Anthology: Ajeeb Daastaans)

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Fans have touted Aditi's performance in the film as a 'breakthrough'. Aditi, whose full potential still remains unutilised impressed the audience with her brave act in the anthology.

Fans took to social media to share their review of her performance. One fan wrote: "Acing even the most complex emotions on the screen, @aditiraohydari pulls off a heavy story and a character effortlessly in '#GeeliPucchi', one of the films in the anthology #AjeebDaastaans. People can't stop lauding her portrayal and heart-aching chemistry with @konkonas". Another one tweeted, "@aditiraohydari continues to surprise with every Film. In #GeeliPucchi, she is endearing as Priya, who opens her heart to Bharti, oblivious of Bharti's underlying feelings for her. She touches your heart with her simplicity & natural act."

Well, we hope we get to see more of these actors!

(Also read: 12 Brilliant Yet Underrated Actors Who Deserve More Love For The Magic They Weave On Screen)