Yearender 2021: Aadarsh Gourav, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan - Breakthrough performances by celebs

Are you looking to switch from those usual cliché storylines? Here is your guide towards some of the breakthrough performances by celebrities, who will stay with you for some longer time. Well, we are all a sucker for good content and, 2021 was the year of non-stop entertainment. While it’s a trend to binge-watch shows on OTT under peer pressure, certain movies were overlooked despite how good the content, storyline and cast is. . Their unpredictable plots, twists and interesting character sketches make them the finest of all.  (All pictures/mid-day archives)

Updated On: 2021-12-31 11:12 AM IST

Aadarsh Gourav, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan

Aadarsh Gourav in The White Tiger

Based on a book by the same name written by Aravind Adiga in 2008, The White Tiger will surely stay with you for a longer period, lingering in the back of your mind, brutal reality of underdogs in India, which was portrayed by Aadarsh Gourav. Despite Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra's breakthrough characters, Aadarsh, who plays the role of Balram, creates such an impact in everybody's life, that will leave you thinking more about the city and its dreams. His journey of escaping servitude, and how Balram becomes Ashok Sharma, an entrepreneur who is shown drafting a long e-mail introducing himself once again, he is truly 'The White Tiger'. 

Abhishek Bachchan in Bob Biswas

Just like a lion who never forgets to hunt, Abhishek Bachchan fits into the shoes of Bob Biswas, a bounty hunter; a character from Vidya Balan's 'Kahani'. This crime drama, portraying Bob's side, will leave you startled. Abhishek Bachchan, in this film, is a husband, a father, and first and foremost, an assassin who has a mission. After the accident which dips him into a coma, he slips into the character of a hitman easily (especially when he has lost his 8 years of life), while simultaneously running errands and discovering his marital bliss.

Rani Mukerji in Bunty Aur Babli 2

'Babli' has truly not lost her charm of being what she is good at, switching roles from being a mother, to a con artist first. The comedy-drama will make you compare Rani Mukerji from its first part (we can't help it), but as soon as she comes on screen, the zest is still intact. In some of the scenes, where Rani Mukerji is seen chasing the new Babli (Sharvari Wagh), will make you think for split seconds, oh, the new generation is good at what they are doing. The climax is truly something nobody expected what the story has in store for the viewers.

Fahadh Faasil in Joji

Pandemic changed a lot of people's lives, but looking at Fahadh Faasil's 'Joji', the meek-looking guy has a vast set of characters to play inside his house itself. The family affairs shown in this Malayalam thriller will not only make you relate to your household drama but also dive you into a world where the family eats together, does not mean it will always stay together. It ends where Joji is seen paralyzed, his unsettled thoughts are still intact, which will leave a mark for real. 

Nushrratt Bharuccha in Ajeeb Daastaans

Nushrratt was also seen in the horror drama 'Chhorii' that left a special mark on its audience with her character Sakshi. It seems like this actress took over the web with her content-driven dramas in 2021. In Ajeeb Daastaans, an anthology film, Nushrratt plays 'Meenal' a house-help who lives with her younger sister in the story 'Khilauna'. She is witty, she is smart, and Meenal's street-smart attitude makes her a good help around the house of rich people living in the elite area of Delhi. After looking at Nushrratt's movie picks, she is here to stay and slay!

Vikrant Massey in Haseen Dillruba

Vikrant Massey's role of a husband is here to haunt you! If Taapsee Pannu is 'Rani', Vikrant's character 'Rishabh' becomes the 'king' of this romantic thriller that will stay with you. The film has a scene when Vikrant decides to take revenge by hitting his cousin (Harshvardhan Rane) by following him with a hammer in his hand, and that's where Massey took off all his guard to get into the skin of a 'sadist'. He is not a killer, but what love makes him do, from being a coy husband to switch into something more brutal, Vikrant is an explosion of talent in this one.

Kriti Sanon in Mimi

After watching the film, Kriti Sanon's sister Nupur shared a post on social media that read 'You’ve made sure that NOBODY ever calls Kriti Sanon JUST a pretty face!,' which turned to be an apt choice of words for Kriti's Mimi. Kriti plays a single mother in the film, and her transformation from being a dreamy woman to a mother is honestly relatable. The change in the plot and character sketch is picked so well, and with utmost honesty, the actress nails the storyline in a true sense. In her journey from 'Heropanti' to 'Mimi', Kriti has a lot more to provide her audience, and Mimi is just the start of it.

Scarlett Johanson in Black Widow: 

In this one, we not only get to see how the 'Black Widow' came into existence, but Scarlett's coldness and her brooding personality will make you like this one. The actress plays 'Romanoff' who is vulnerable yet strong at the same time. This flawed character from The Marvel Universe hones in on grief, pain, and being a victim. Her motif from saving someone to taking out all the Black Widows from the Red Room is worth the watch. We are sure you must have watched this one more than once.

Amanda Seyfried in Things Heard and Seen: 

Things Heard and Seen has currently been on the top of horror movies. Amanda's characters, from what we saw her in Letters to Juliet and Mean Girls, has just switched drastically and made some bold moves when it comes to her movie choices. In this one, she is seen struggling with her food habits, beating bulimia, as she moves to a new house with her husband, James Norton, and discovering things she has never 'heard' and 'seen' before. The movie unfolds Norton's character of being a husband, an English Literature professor, and even Seyfried witnesses major changes in their relationship. It has art, it has spiritual elements, what makes Amanda's outing a good one? The sinister secrets that have been tagged along in the film and its characters. 

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