Top performers of 2011 (Jan-July) Half-year hotshots

You watched them hit it big on screen. Watched a Rajni-esque Salman in Ready, the Big B's colourful transition to angry old man in Bbuddah... Hoga Tera Baap, Vidya's de-glam power-packed performance in No One Killed Jessica and Priyanka sinister act in 7 Khoon Maaf. The first half of 2011 has been varied and exciting for actors. They've had a chance to make us love (or hate) their performances. Here's your chance to rate them on the half-yearly Bollywood report card.

You watched them hit it big on screen. Watched a Rajni-esque Salman in Ready, the Big B's colourful transition to angry old man in Bbuddah... Hoga Tera Baap, Vidya's de-glam power-packed performance in No One Killed Jessica and Priyanka sinister act in 7 Khoon Maaf. The first half of 2011 has been varied and exciting for actors. They've had a chance to make us love (or hate) their performances. Here's your chance to rate them on the half-yearly Bollywood report card.

Top Performers (Male)

Sunny Deol in Yamla Pagla Deewana: Three Deols in one frame, that is some serious brawn to contend with. Sunny gets a mention for being the controlled but don't-take-me-for-granted NRI.
Arunoday Singh in Yeh Saali Zindagi: After his thanda thanda performance in Aisha, Arunoday showed promise as a villain.
Irrfan Khan in Yeh Saali Zindagi: Irrfan Khan played the docile yet aggressive lover in the movie. The gifted actor that he is, he delivers yet another great performance.

Akshay Kumar in Patiala House: Just the change of seeing Akshay Kumar shed the ribald comedy earns him a mention, especially after the disastrous Tees Maar Khan.
Madhavan in Tanu Weds Manu: Madhavan fit the bill perfectly as the “phoren-returned-desi”.
Abhishek Bachchan in Dum Maaro Dum: He dies in the end and there's a spooky part as well, but thankfully this one wasn't as farfetched as Delhi-6 Aby Baby is charming as the cool cop in Dum Maaro Dum. Even though the character has some resemblance to his Dhoom act, Abhishek is no less convincing in this one.

Salman Khan in Ready: Ready The golden run continues and yet another shirtless scene just adds to Salman Khan's top gun act.
Rajeev Khandelwal in Shaitan: He played a convincing cop and that's not easy.
Amitabh Bachchan in Bbuddah... Hoga Tera Baap: At 68, the Big B's sheer star power and abundant energy can still inspire awe.

Imran Khan / Vir Das / Kunaal Roy Kapoor in Delhi Belly: The terrific trio and their crude and crazy humour was an instant hit. Imran Khan convincingly shed his chocolate boy image for the dedicated journo Taashi.

Vir Das' portrayal of a troubled lover, who has an equally troubled time at work – can it get more real?

And Kunaal Roy Kapoor held his own as the photojournalist.
Hrithik Roshan / Abhay Deol / Farhan Akhtar in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: Hrithik as Arjun, the investment banker; Abhay as Kabir, the construction tycoon and Farhan as Imraan, the flirt, strike a chord. Fun, real, charming and the best part? They didn't look like they were acting.
Ajay Devgn in Singham: Bollywood is going gaga over Singham even before its release. The original Singham changed Suriya's life forever. Does Ajay Devgn match up?
The seasoned actor that he is, Ajay has started getting rave reviews for his performance in Singham even before its release. We have seen him play a cop in many movies, out of which Gangaajal needs a special mention. As per the critics, Singham is Ajay's best till date.
Top Performers (Female)

Vidya Balan in No One Killed Jessica: Playing a real-life character was never going to be easy, especially with Rani Mukherjee in the same frame. But no one would know that, seeing Vidya Balan's controlled, confident performance.
Rani Mukherjee in No One Killed Jessica: Rani Mukherjee was convincing as gritty journalist Meera in the movie. The applause was particularly loud each time she said **** on screen.
Chitrangada Singh in Yeh Saali Zindagi: A powerful performance and trademark intensity set Chitrangada apart.
Anushka Sharma in Patiala House: After playing the bubbly Shruti in Band Baaja Baraat, Anushka Sharma showed another side as a supportive girlfriend of the protagonist.
Priyanka Chopra in 7 Khoon Maaf: Versatile Priyanka is ready to experiment. 7 Khoon Maaf was perfect for her as she effortlessly went from 21 to 65 in just over 3 hours.
Kangna Ranaut in Tanu Weds Manu: Kangana plays the part of a Punjabi kudi to perfection. She is full of life, fearless and fun-loving, only if she could work more on her diction.
Katrina in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: Even when she is left with little to do among the big boys in the movie, Katrina stands apart.