BOOM JANUARY 2016 | Page 18

REPORT Surprises of 2015 T he year is about to end and we list down the names and faces that have surprised us in 2015. Their acting prowess, their box-office acceptance or maybe their tremendous acceptance in their debut film... they made us sit up and take notice. Take a look… She’s back: Radhika Apte In 2011, she impressed us in Shor In The City and then this dusky beauty disappeared from the big screen. Cut to 2015, Radhika Apte made her comeback and how! Her first offering was in a small role in Badlapur, where her act was applauded and she made all the filmmakers take notice of her. What followed were good performances in Hunterrr, Manjhi – The Mountain Man and Sujoy Ghosh’s short film, Ahalya. Today, she’s starring opposite Rajnikanth down South. First impressions: Bhumi Pednekar Bhumi Pednekar plays an overweight small town girl Sandhya, who’s super comfortable in her skin and will exchange sharp words with her husband and in-laws. Bhumi’s debut performance was compared to veterans. While she got herself a dream debut and a three-film deal with YRF, we got a new star in making. Dark horse: Vicky Kaushal Masaan had him play a lower caste worker in a funeral ground, who hopelessly falls in love with an upper caste girl. And when he sings Tu kisi rail si lagti hai, our heart went out to him. Vicky Kaushal surely shines in the niche film and we’re quite impressed, indeed. Comedy hour: Deepak Dobriyal He surprised us earlier in 2006 in Omkara, for which he won Filmfare Special Award by the Jury. Deepak Dobriyal struck back with Tanu Weds Manu Returns. His comic timing and expressions kept us rolling in our seats with laughter. Fifty shades of Grey: Nawazuddin Siddiqui Seldom do you favour the menacing element in a film. Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s almost anti-hero like act in Badlapur was class apart. It’s a known fact that he’s a powerhouse performer but with Badlapur, our love for him increased. Whether he’s imitating a limp man in the jail, trying to fit into a gunny bag to escape or while he’s talking dirty to Huma Qureshi, Nawazuddin was a treat to watch and by the end of the film, you’re confused whether to loathe or love him. | Worldwide phenomenon: Bahubali No one ever expected a South Indian film to take the national and international box-office by storm. Tickets were sold in black at sky-high prices, theatres ran packed shows and Bahubali and Kattapa became household names. The business this film did is equivalent to what Khan films are normally wont to do. We just can’t wait for the sequel! 18 | BOOM