This one would go down as one of the most ignored acts of 2007. While the entire promotion of Awarapan was centered on the film being the costliest ever coming from the house of Bhatts and Emraan Hashmi's career best act, there wasn't much attention paid to the select few (but extremely effective) scenes that had Ashutosh Rana eating up the frames. In a performance that would stand as one of his ‘Top 3’ ever, Ashutosh played a suave businessman with perfection. His dining table conversation at the film's beginning and the pre-climax roar of 'why' while questioning Emraan about the ultimate betrayal would be remembered by those who saw and appreciated the film.
This one was the volte face of the year! No one would have expected the Iqbal of 2005 to turn into a sophisticated, cold blooded, smooth planner in plain two years flat. Playing a character which was unlike anything that he had done in the past, he worked hard for the role of a man in his late 30’s. Shreyas was a revelation as a doctor who carefully manned all his moves and was a completely opposite person from the exterior and the interior.
Most under rated actor in the industry in last decade or so, Jimmy has been labeled as chocolate boy by people from within and outside the industry. Well, he proved that he is much more than just a chocolate boy through his bravura act in Eklavya - The Royal Guard where he played a conspirator along with his on-screen father Jackie Shroff. To stand up against the might of Amitabh Bachchan and ridicule him big time, even if it is for a scene in a film, is nothing less than a challenge but Jimmy accomplished it with aplomb. Can he now take on a full on villain role for an upcoming film please?
In the times when boys are dominating the scene and men are concentrating on being the ultimate hunks, Kulbhushan Kharbanda proved once again that why does he continue to be in demand years after first making an impression as a baddie in Shaan. In one of the most unfortunate box office failures of 2007, Kulbhushan Kharbanda shone as an aged paedophile. Though for major part of the film he hardly had any scenes, he made up for the loss in the two major scenes that he shared with Abhay Deol in the film's pre-climax and climax. His lecture on why powerful rules the weak, had a great philosophical, political and egoistic overtones.
Just as women loved Arjun Rampal in Om Shanti Om, the same holds good for Shilpa Shukla who has become many a men's fantasy in spite of her vamp act. OK, so some may be asking 'Shilpa who'? Well, such overpowering has been the persona of Bindya Naik, that hardly any people are aware about the real name of this character being Shilpa Shukla. As the 'doosra gunda' in the camp run by primary 'gunda' Shah Rukh Khan, she was the one who introduced all the tension in the story and made audience ask the question - 'what next'. And if someone has any questions about her sex appeal, remember the locker room sequence where she conveyed so much through eyes while dropping enough hints for coach Khan to pick up. Now that was a lady speaking and for a change men wanted Khan to succumb to the temptation!