WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT: Meet the underrated actors who grabbed the limelight in Bollywood
Mahie Gill played a crafty wife in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns
The first quarter of the year has seen a dry spell at the box office but several underrated actors, who may not have been stars, garnered applause for their poignant performances.
The recent success of Jolly LLB once again brought to fore the acting ability and comic quotient of Arshad Warsi, even as Jimmy Sheirgill proved again that he is probably Bollywood's most underrated actor when he returned as the scheming royal in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns.
Mahie Gill, Jimmy's co-star in the film, who played the exploited but crafty Biwi, confidently essayed the seductress without over-the-top airs. Raj Kumar Yadav, who has consistently won over the critics and the niche audience, appealed with his boyish charm in Kai Po Che.
Southern star Prakash Raj's portrayal of a dreaded villain of Dabangg 2 was a highlight despite the omnipresence of Salman Khan.
Find of the season has surely been Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The actor, overlooked for long in Bollywood, came of age last year with Gangs Of Wasseypur but it was this year's Aatma that proved he could make his mark even as a solo leading man.
"I have never been crazy about stardom. All that I want is appreciation from the audience for my work," says Nawazuddin, who admits that he enjoys "being an underrated actor".
Manoj Bajpayee, who has been a consistent performer for years, returned this year with a bang in Special 26.
Ask him if he thinks Bollywood hasn't given him his due as an actor, and he replies: "My career is not over yet. There is more to come."
Boman Irani recently confirmed the existence of a club of underrated actors in Bollywood.
"Arshad is a hugely underrated and undervalued actor. He has a lot more to offer because he acts with his heart. He has spontaneity," said Boman, about his Jolly LLB co-star.
MAHIE GILL seen recently in SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER RETURNS
QUICK CHECK: She did a small role in Sudhir Mishra's Khoya Khoya Chand but came to the limelight as Anurag Kashyap's new-age Paro in Dev.D.
Despite this, she was getting small roles in films such as Gulaal, Paan Singh Tomar and the Dabangg series, besides the odd lead role in forgettable fare such as Utt Pataang. The turning point was Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster in 2011, where she played a neglected but crafty wife of a royal scion. She followed up the act in this year's sequel with perfection.
ANALYSING HER: Mahie is known to be too shy for her own good, in a career that is all about networking.
She confirms she is an actress who "will switch on only while facing the camera", which explains why she prefers staying off the limelight mostly. Currently, she is preparing for her role as Mona Darling in Zanjeer.
NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI seen recently in AATMA and TALAASH after last year's GANGS OF WASSEYPUR
QUICK CHECK: Nawazuddin was seen in bit roles in numerous films over the years before he was dubbed as the discovery of 2012 after his commendable performance in Gangs Of Wasseypur.
He followed up the good act with his role of a slimy pimp in Talaash and an evil avatar in the horror flick, Aatma (pic right). He will play a Bollywood struggler in Star, Dibakar Banerjee's segment in the episodic Bombay Talkies.
ANALYSING HIM: Nawazuddin's struggle started somewhere in the late nineties when he did bit roles in films such as Sarfarosh.
The constant rejections have taken a toll and he reveals a dislike for the star system. He has smartly crafted an image as a non-glamourous icon and that is working for him.
In this year's Aatma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui proved he could make his mark
ADITI RAO HYDARI seen recently in MURDER 3
QUICK CHECK: Aditi got noticed playing Sonam Kapoor's aunt Rama Bua in Dilli-6.
Her talent and oomph also came to the fore in Yeh Saali Zindagi and Rockstar. With Murder 3 (pic above), Aditi proved she can carry off the intense lead roles, too.
ANALYSING HER: Aditi arrived in Mumbai with a 'married actress' tag and in her late twenties.
Both factors went against her. Lately, though, she has managed to grab the limelight with the right PR pitch.
YAMI GAUTAM made an impressive debut in VICKY DONOR
QUICK CHECK: Chandigarh girl Yami started out as a model and a TV actress who enjoyed a sizeable fan following on shows such as Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam and Chaand Ke Paar Chalo.
She also did some south Indian films.
ANALYSING HER: Despite being loved as Ashima Roy in Vicky Donor, Yami has not been flooded with offers after her debut film unlike co-star Ayushmann Khurrana. Her only film coming up is Hamara Bajaj opposite Ayushmann.
Yami admits being somewhat laidback and says she likes to take things as they come.
Aditi (left) has managed to grab the limelight with the right PR pitch; Yami admits being laidback
ARSHAD WARSI seen recently in JOLLY LLB
QUICK CHECK: Arshad started out with Tere Mere Sapne in 1996 but struggled doing B-flicks for a while till the Munna Bhai series resurrected his career.
Playing the pokerfaced Madhav in the Golmaal series has also helped, establishing him as a fine actor with an impeccable comic timing. With Ishqiya, he proved he could handle complex roles. His latest, Jolly LLB, casts him as a smalltown lawyer who arrives in Delhi and ends up winning a high-profile case against a top legal eagle.
The success of the film proves he can click as a solo hero.
ANALYSING HIM: Despite being sufficiently popular for long, Arshad has perhaps not got the success he deserves because of his average look and image. The advent of crossover cinema has been a boon, and more roles like Jolly LLB can only work in his favour.
RAJ KUMAR YADAV seen recently in KAI PO CHE and TALAASH
QUICK CHECK: He was first noticed as the slimy store salesman in Love Sex Aur Dhokha but not many knew his name then. He became a known name with Ragini MMS.
The FTII (Pune) grad has since then impressed with Talaash, Chittagong, Gangs Of Wasseypur, Shaitan, Kai Po Che.
ANALYSING HIM: In the age when most heroes gun for six-pack abs, Raj Kumar has turned his average look into a USP.
It goes well with his restrained style of acting.
For Arshad (left), the Munna Bhai series resurrected his career; Raj Kumar has turned his average look into a USP
