Best supporting actor 2016
By Aditya Pisharody
As Bollywood begins to move away from the testosterone-fuelled (male) hero dominated films towards making more ensemble movies (as well as more female-centric movies), the importance of the supporting role has grown tremendously. An otherwise excellent film can be undermined by the missteps of even one supporting actor (Exhibit A: Piyush Mishra in Pink). In other cases, the supporting actor can serve as the voice of reason or the voice of the audience - trying to help make sense of everything happening around him. Bollywood this year served up it's fair share of stellar supporting roles. Kapoor and Sons threatened to dominate this category all by itself - Fawad Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Rajat Kapoor could all make a case for winning this award. As it is, the latter didn't even make the cut (along with a slew of other deserving honorable mentions noted at the bottom of the page). Here however, are our picks for the Best Supporting Actor.
Note: each actor/actress is nominated for their entire body of work in 2016, not for individual performances. I.e. Arjun Rampal is nominated for her performances in both Rock On 2 and Kahaani 2 - and not separately for each one.
Fawad Khan plays the stoic Rahul Kapoor in 'Kapoor and Sons'.
fawad khan (Kapoor and sons)
Whether Fawad should have been nominated here is only a question of whether his performance can be labelled "supporting". The biggest compliment to his performance is that he carried large parts of this film on his shoulders, even in a star-studded ensemble film featuring Rishi Kapoor (winner of this category in the Filmfare and Screen awards), Rajat Kapoor, Ratna Pathak, Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. His calm, understated demeanour lent his character a genuine charm and likability, and his sudden bursts of emotion were equally powerful. It is also worth acknowledging his bravery in accepting the role in the first place, after 6 other actors rejected the part out of concern for their 'image'. Fawad also featured in blink-and-miss cameo in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil this year, where he was again compelling despite limited screen time. External circumstances dictate that this may be the last we see of him for a while - we can only hope that isn't the case because he was simply outstanding
Rishi Kapoor as the 90-year-old family patriarch in 'Kapoor and Sons'. Kapoor won both the Filmfare and Screen Awards for Supporting Actor.
Rishi kapoor (Kapoor and Sons)
Rishi Kapoor has recently attracted more attention for his Twitter outbursts and his recent book (where he admits to buying a Filmfare Award), but he remains a formidable actor. Kapoor himself gave credit for his performance to his director Shakun Batra, whose approach to the film and character reportedly left the senior Kapoor on the verge of quitting the film. A special nod as well to the prosthetic team for making Kapoor look realistic as a 90-year-old paraplegic. However, take nothing away from the man himself. Kapoor is delightful as the fun-loving, tharki, joint-smoking patriarch of the family - his continuous antics make for great viewing and add a generous dose of comic relief. Despite excellent performances all around him, the film would not have had the same magic without him..
Diljit Dosanjh plays the role of policeman Sartaj Singh, who is secretly helping Kareena Kapoor investigate the drug trade in Punjab.
diljit dosanjh (UDTA Punjab)
Already a superstar in his native Punjab, Diljit Dosanjh launched himself into the national spotlight with a breakthrough performance in Udta Punjab. If you had to pick one adjective to describe Diljit, it would be sincere. Make no mistake, this was not a simple one-dimensional cop role. Dosanjh perfectly captures the character's emotional journey - from the complacent cop who occasionally greases his palms, to the distraught family man who's life is thrown into disarray by the drug epidemic and finally the determined, dogged investigator fighting for the truth. In between all of that, he even manages to cast doe-eyed glances in the direction of Kareena Kapoor - a romantic side-plot that could have easily gone awry but is delivered masterfully. To top it all off, the actor endeared himself to audiences off-screen too with his interviews revealing a refreshing honesty and humility. A great entry into Bollywood, we look forward to seeing more!
Rajkummar Rao. in a still from Aligarh, in which he plays journalist Deepu Sebastian who builds a relationship with the estranged Dr Siras.
rajkummar rao (aligarh)
Rajkummar Rao is fast becoming the master of supporting roles in Bollywood. Probably unfair to say for someone who's won a National Award as leading man for Shahid, Rao really become a household name through his supporting roles in Kai Po Che (for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Filmfare award) and in Queen. All of which is a roundabout way of saying - Rajkummar Rao is an outstanding actor. His performance in Aligarh matches the elevated standards he has set for himself, a nuanced portrayal of a man eager to report on a sensational story without agitating the subject of the story itself. For all the acclaim Manoj Bajpayee has received, the film's best moments are when the duo are on-screen together as their relationship develops. Shame about that Malayalee 'accent' though!
Shahrukh Khan oozes charm as unconventional therapist Dr. Jehangir Khan in Dear Zindagi.
shahrukh khan (dear zindagi)
It has been a very long time since Shahrukh has played second fiddle to someone. As an established mega-star with 2 major releases already planned for the year (Raees was later postponed), there was little need for him to either - but he took it on and boy, did he deliver. When he is in the mood, there is nobody in the country who can match him for sheer charisma. While always a charmer, SRK has in recent times been trying extra hard to re-invent himself (beard and everything) as a cool, relatable father-figure - someone who is clearly getting older but is still suave and can still be your friend. In that sense, the character of 'Jug' playing therapist to Alia Bhatt - giving her relationship advice and generally sound life advice while her old-fashioned parents scoff at her artsy job and try to marry her off - is an extension of his projected real-life persona. His presence is simply electrifying though, and his arrival visibly lifts the film.
Arjun Rampan in a still from Kahaani 2, where he plays a police officer in pursuit of Durga Rani Singh.
arjun rampal (rock on 2 & kahaani 2)
Another actor who seems destined to be a master at the supporting role, though one suspects Arjun Rampal is rather less thrilled about this fact than Rajkummar Rao is! Nevertheless, Rampal does what he does best - continue to deliver solid performances one after another. While Rock On 2 was critically panned and de-monetized out of the box office, Rampal's performance as the indie musicial turned reality show judge, and dealing with his internal identity crisis and his friends' missteps is flawless. Including his performance in Kahaani 2 is potentially contentious, as he is the prominent male character in the film with considerable screen time. However, we decided that the film truly belongs to Vidya Balan's Durga Rani Singh and everyone else is relegated to the sidelines. Rampal is once again flawless, his deadpan delivery often belying a range of emotions that he is capable of communicating effortlessly. Here's hoping his next leading role, as Arun Gawli in Daddy lives up to this level!
Honorable mentions: Rajat Kapoor (Kapoor and Sons), Jim Sarbh (Neerja), Purab Kohli (Airlift & Rock On 2), Aparshakti Khurana (Dangal)