2000-2010: The Top Heroines
A bar girl forced into the life by circumstance, a deaf and blind girl making her way in the world, and a bygone princess's unlikely love story: these are just three of the performances 2000-2010's actresses gave us to remember the decade by.
-
Aishwarya as Jodhaa in Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
Ash may be unfairly advantaged in terms of looking the part, but Jodhaa Akbar rode to the top of the box office on her histrionics. As the fiery Rajput princess chafing at being used as a political pawn she displayed talent of epic proportions, making sure we couldn't take our eyes off here, and not just because of the way she looked. -
Priyanka Chopra as Meghna Mathur in Fashion (2008)
Priyanka Chopra put herself on the line with Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion as the aspiring model who'll do anything to break into the big league. The unconventional role proved Priyanka had acting chops to go with her superstar figure and also garnered her the National and Filmfare Best Actress awards. -
Rani Mukerji as Michelle McNally in Black (2005)
Rani Mukerji's portrayal of deaf and blind Michelle McNally in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black stands out in her impressive body of work. Her moving portrayal of a young girl enveloped in darkness won her every award there was to be had, and rightly so. -
Kareena Kapoor as Dolly in Omkara (2006)
Versatile Kareena Kapoor held her own against Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan as Dolly, the object of a ganglord's affections, in Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara. Her flawless performance ran a gamut of emotions, encompassing fear, love, anger, violence and isolation bagging Kareena quite a few awards. -
Katrina Kaif as Indu in Raajneeti (2010)
Bollywood babe Kat was a unlikely choice to play a young girl thrust into the political limelight in Prakash Jha's drama Raajneeti but she showed naysayers she had more to offer than just a pretty face. Sheer hard work allowed her to pull off long Hindi dialogues and her saree-clad persona was a striking change from her usual glamorous avatar. -
Vidya Balan as Vidya in Paa (2009)
Amitabh Bachchan's phenomenal performance failed to eclipse that of Vidya Balan's in Paa. Already proved a formidable actress, Vidya's performance as the single mother of a son born with a rare genetic condition added a few more awards to her collection. -
Kangna Ranaut as Shonali in Fashion (2008)
This Fashion victim became the star. Kangna Ranaut's downward spiral in Madhur Bhandarkar's glamour-expose Fashion met with widespread critical acclaim. As her life took a plunge and took her from the super-model status to that of a drug addict nothing, her performance was truly inspirational, bringing in awards for Best Supporting Actress. -
Kajol as Zooni Ali Baig in Fanaa (2006)
Rani's cousin Kajol quickly followed in her footsteps with Fanaa, where she played the role of a blind girl. As Zooni Ali Baig, she has to deal with blindness, terror, violence, heartbreak and so much more. The brilliance that radiates from this Bollywood diamond took Zooni to a whole new level. -
Madhuri as Chandramukhi in Devdas (2002)
Madhuri's luminous performance as the condemned courtesan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas was another notch in her belt and a her landmark role of the decade. Her scene-stealing portrayal won her Best Supporting Actress at the Filmfare and other awards. -
Tabu as Mumtaz Ali Ansari in Chandni Bar (2001)
Histrionic heavyweight Tabu played a young village girl orphaned by riots and forced into the gritty life of a bar girl to great acclaim in Chandni Bar. Her performance as the hapless mother who turns to prostitution for her children won her a slew of awards, including the National Award and Best Actress at IIFA. -
Karisma Kapoor as Zubeidaa Begum in Zubeidaa (2001)
Karisma Kapoor shone as the ill-starred Muslim second wife of a Hindu maharaja in the only partly fictional Zubeidaa, based on the life of former actress Zubeida Begum. Karisma's performance was one for Bollywood to remember, and it won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. -
Konkona Sen Sharma as Meenakshi Iyer in Mr and Mrs Iyer (2002)
Bollywood bright spark Konkona shook up the industry as the young mother forced to re-examine her religious prejudices in the wake of communal violence. Her Tamil accent was spot on and her sensitive portrayal of a difficult role won Konkona a National Award. -
Urmila Matondkar as Sarika Vartak in Ek Hasina Thi (2004)
Some of Urmila Matondkar's most powerful performances have been in negative roles – among them, the vengeful Sarika from RGV's Ek Hasina Thi. She was nominated for a Filmfare Award for her portrayal of a woman duped and jailed by her former lover. -
Preity Zinta as Naina Catherine Kapur in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
The usually bubbly Preity Zinta proved she could handle more serious fare as Naina Catherine Kapur in Kal Ho Naa Ho. Her performance as the carefree girl next door spiraling into an emotional vortex won her the IIFA and Filmfare awards. After Naina, no role has matched the fame and glory for Preity.
