Best Hindi film/show performances of the first half of 2021

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It’s that time of the year when people pause and reflect on the six months gone by, as well as plan for the months ahead. It’s July 1, we are halfway into 2021, and for film buffs, it means six months of new shows and films have already passed by. The past few months were nothing as fans had hoped for. Reason? The surge in COVID-19 cases. The pandemic that struck the country last year continues to wreak havoc this year too. As a result, shoots were stalled, releases were delayed and cinema halls were shut (for the most part). Despite it all, the entertainment industry rose to the occasion and managed to create several pieces of art that kept the viewers busy and how.

From shows they couldn’t get enough of to anthologies and films they couldn’t stop watching, the first six months of the year have had quite a few winning visual works of art to its credit. Here’s taking a look at the best Hindi film/show performance of the first half of 2021:

Konkona Sen Sharma, Ajeeb Daastaans

Ajeeb Daastaans, a Hindi-language anthology film, consisted of four short film segments directed by Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Neeraj Ghaywan and Kayoze Irani. Konkona was a part of Neeraj’s Geeli Pucchi, which also starred Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead role. As Bharti Mandal, a well-educated and qualified employee, working in a caste-ridden and male-ruled world, finds herself in a fix of sorts after the arrival of Priya Sharma, who gets a higher position because of her caste and contacts. The short film is a sharp look at caste bias and sexism at the workplace among other things. It’s also a powerful depiction of owning one’s sexuality, and Kangana delivers one of her best performances of all time in the short film.

Manoj Bajpayee, The Family Man 2

Created by Raj and DK, The Family Man 2 is one of this year’s most gripping, talked-about and popular shows. Manoj Bajpayee takes on his character Srikant Tiwari from the first season and continues his journey. Srikant is a middle-class ‘common man’ who works in a special task force that aims to predict and prevent attacks on the country. His professional life is full of thrills, but so is his personal life, and as Srikant, Manoj nails the character. It’s difficult to imagine anyone else who could have pulled off the character with such perfection and layers.

Naveen Kasturia, Aspirants

You might know him as the guy in Pitchers. But now, Naveen has delivered another memorable performance in TVF’s Aspirants. The story follows three friends, Abhilash, Guri and SK (Shwet Ketu) who are preparing for the UPSC exam in Delhi and Naveen’s endearing performance makes you root for him all throughout.

Vidya Balan, Sherni

As an upright forest officer and a woman of few words but more actions, Vidya Balan is pitch-perfect in Sherni. Directed by Amit Masurkar, the film is set in a forest and is about achieving a balance in a world ridden with man-animal conflict. But it’s as much about a woman dealing with day-to-day sexism, gaslighting and also about bureaucracy. The film is easily 2021’s best offering, and so is Vidya’s nuanced performance.

Parineeti Chopra, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar

Shattering sexism silently and subtly one dialogue at a time was Dibakar Banerjee’s Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. The dark-comedy offered Parineeti the character of Sandeep with a massive emotional range and the actress didn’t disappoint at all.

Sanya Malhotra, Pagglait

Sanya steps in the shoes of a young widow, who is dealing with the loss of her husband Aastik, who passed away five months of marriage. In Pagglait, Sanya aces her character with sensitivity. She’s someone who isn’t crying while people around her expect her to. She’s also someone who finds new details about her husband’s past and unravels the other side of her now-dead partner. Is she feeling anything about the loss of her husband? Well, that’s something you ought to watch her film for.

Manoj Bajpayee, Gajraj Rao, Hangama Kyon Hai Barpa in Ray

It’s not easy to tackle a subject like kleptomania, and more so, when you have the pressure of recreating one of Satyajit Ray’s old stories. But count on Abhishek Chaubey, ably supported by Manoj Bajpayee and Gajraj Rao, and you won’t be disappointed. Both Manoj and Gajraj are in absolute form in the episode shot entirely in a first-class AC coupe.

Neena Gupta, Sardar Ka Grandson

As a 90-year-old matriarch in Sardar Ka Grandson, Neena is truly the heart and soul of the film. She’s a whisky-loving grandmom that you just won’t be able to get enough of. Her dialogues are funny, and it’s her screen presence that lights up the frame effortlessly. She is ably supported by Arjun Kapoor, who plays her grandson in the film.