Best Ensemble Cast
in a Motion Picture
Sometimes it takes
more than a great individual performance to make a great film, it takes a slew
of good performances to do so as well.
It takes those
shining lead super stars,
Their able and
strong supporting cast,
And the numerous
surprisingly effective small actors and roles.
Above all else, it
takes a casting director to find and mould the right talents for the right
script.
There were many well
cast films this year that didn't necessarily rely on star power but a
collective of in tune and highly motivated actors, among those that missed the
main cut are;
Dhanak-Feature two
solid performances from its young leads, Dhanak was ably made the better by the
number of quirky characters Chotu and Pari meet through their uplifting journey
with a plethora of well knows players leaving their mark from the always dependable
Vipin Sharma to the surprising Raghuram of Roadies.
Parched-Though very
much focused on its three leads, the men around them were an equal thrill to
watch as actors in surprising roles provided a profound outlook on the multi
faceted view of men in a patriarchal society. Particular stand out being Adil
Hussain as a hunky mysterious cave dwelling saint.
Dear Zindagi-The
focus on its two stars might make people forget that the low key supporting
cast was an absolute delight on screen, especially Alia Bhatt's group of
friends and string of lovers made famous by fun cameos.
Phobia-This might be
an unexpected one considering that Phobia has Radhika Apte in a towering
performance that whisky away the whole film, but she had a cast of three to
four smart actors ably hitting the right notes and strides towards a crazy
conclusion specifically former HIndie Award nominee Satyadeep Mishra in a genre
shifting role.
And now onto the
nominees...
Panchami Ghavri for Kapoor and Sons
Featuring a
compelling cast and mix of terrific veteran actors and exciting young stars,
Kapoor and Sons already has three single nominees to bolster its ranks.
At the forefront is
the dual and duelling roles of mother and son as portrayed by Ratna Pathak Shah
and Fawad Khan, the two probably have the most genuinely endearing relationship
in the dysfunctional family and when two secrets threaten its existence these
actors pull out everything to give the film its greatest emotional heft.
Had the Mother's
betrayal arc not been so short changed, the same could have been said of the
other relationship. Ratna Pathak Shah holds her end of the bargain with a fine
performance and while Siddharth Malhotra as literally and figuratively the
second son, has a lot of chinks in his armour; this is still his finest
performance to date and it holds true in most of the lighter moments of the
film especially the dalliances with Bhatt and comedic chemistry with Rishi
Kapoor and Fawad Khan.
Speaking of Bhatt,
Alia proves once more that even with the shortest and easiest of roles she has
a performance heft, her one emotional breakdown scene proves that she has
mastered the craft of drama and holding the audience.
Her chemistry with
Malhotra is sweet but it is along with Fawad Khan where they shine in creating
some unbelievable sparks that have no connection due to the character's
different needs.
Rishi Kapoor as the
naughty grandpa is a much needed dose of humour and while Rajat Kapoor is given
the short end of the stick, he is an able support to Shah's character by being
the ultimate foil.
Smaller roles are
filled easily, yet it is the main family and one [Alia Bhatt] that reign
supreme amidst the chaos.
The best thing to
come out of Kapoor and Sons ensemble is a reminder that if Malhotra can
overcome the fact that he is so obviously conscious in front of the camera and
choose films that don't necessarily rely on him all the time, he can create a
niche space for himself in films today.
Mukesh Chhabra for Dangal
With Dangal, Chhabra
proves truly that he is the king of casting in the current landscape of Hindi
cinema. It takes an astute eye to move beyond the working roles of leads to
discover the right kind of talent and cultivating them into diamonds in the rough.
Dangal's greatest
strength apart from its script elevating lead, are the four fresh faced
performers that make it happen.
As the young lot of
the four; in Suhani Bhatnagar and Zaira Wasim, Dangal finds the anchors for the
rip rollicking first half of the film. The two young girls absolutely steal the
show with performances that hit the right comic timing, add a layer of subdued
drama in a mixed misguided message and show resolve in sequences normally they
would not need to pull off.
The elder two are
equally adapt in their surrounding inspite of the fact that Sanya Malhotra gets
a shortchanged role, yet manages to match the melodramatic overtones and as
well as Breakout star of the year Fatima, who takes to the action in the mat
with authenticity.
Equal measure of
praise must go to Aamir Khan's dedication if not performance in this role.
As for the
peripheral actors; while the script does no favours to Kulkarni, he still
manages as best as he can do. Aparshakti Khurrana is a delight as the older
Omkar, while his younger version stands toe to toe with the girls; Ritwik
Sahore giving us the best deadpan looks of this decade [take that Aubrey
Plaza!]. The hidden strength of the film being a well worked short role by
Sakshi Tanwar.
Nobody can match
Mukesh Chhabra in the Dangal [wrestling competition] of casting films.
Honey Trehan for
Udta Punjab
Udta Punjab's
marketing might make you believe that the films USP are its four leads, that
would be a mistake.
Not to take anything
away from the four performances. After all Diljit Dosanjh is a delight to watch
in his nuanced take of Sartaj Singh, despite a terrible character Kareena
Kapoor reminds us why she is such a gifted actor, Shahid Kapoor sinks deep into
the role of Tommy Singh though with some mishaps while Alia Bhatt is the anchor
of the film with a powerful showy turn.
Yet equal praise
must fall on the supporting cast. As the scattered and somewhat naive cousin in
awe of Tommy Singh, Suhail Nayyar gives a low key breakthrough for the ages.
The kind of performance that will feature on many end of the year most
underrated lists and will hopefully propel him to bigger meatier parts.
Equally efficient is
Satish Kaushik in a scene stealing part comedic and part dramatic turn as
Tommy's caring and stern uncle.
Another shining star
is the fourth lead of his own arc; Prabhjyot Singh as Sartaj's drug addled
younger brother Bali who effectively portrays the haunting degradation of the
Punjab youth. He shoulders the harsh message of the film, rounding out a
stellar cast.
Jogi for Pink
They might not give
the kind of powerpacked solo performances as required, but the cast of Pink
fits well into the confines of the narrative of their film.
Reviving his role of
the Angry Young Man, in the form of the Angry Crusading Octogenarian, Pink
isn't Amitabh sirs finest this year but definitely a showcase for his
histrionics and his unmatched orator skills.
The film however
belongs to its three girls, Kirti Kulhari is a particular standout as the
breaking Falak especially once put to stand with a great peeling of her layers
as push comes to shove. Taapsee Pannu proves her mettle as a performer in a
role that demands the most of her and is shouldered by her, in what is
effectively a star making turn. Thank god for smart casting as a North
Easterner is allowed to play a North Easterner, giving the prejudice and
isolation a fitting representation with Andrea Tariang.
Angad Bedi revives
his career with a snarky turn as the leader of the accusing accused, he might
get typecast in his career thanks to a role that allows him to play to his
physical and emotional advantages specifically his aggression as an actor.
Piyush Mishra though not as effective as usual, is apt in a smarmy role that
never lets off.
The standout though
among the collective of small cast roles is Vijay Verma, the only man of the
collective group of guys who was never at the incident; Verma perfectly
embodies the idea of the entitled male whose supposed standing allows him
vicious privileges against weaker people, though they are not there. Verma
makes you hate him and is an absolute beast of a performer in a short role.
The signs of great
casting are when the smaller roles tend to overshadow the leads [cast by
everyone above the casting director] and showcase that a job is best done by
the person who specializes in it, thanks to their keen eye for character. This
is one such case.
Mukhesh Chhabra for Raman Raghav 2.0
Two nominations
prove what I've been saying all along; Chhabra is the king of casting.
In Raman Raghav 2.0
he teams up with regular Anurag Kashyap, allowing for the crazies to come
crawling out of the woodwork with this psycho thriller.
Beginning at the top
are two outmatching performance of the ever dependable Nawazzudin Siddiqui and
the stalwart young Vicky Kaushal, while Siddiqui is much better as the creepy
Ramana kudos to Kaushal for matching up as best as he can as the disintegrating
Raghavan.
Beyond the leads,
Amruta Subhash is the light at the end of the tunnel with a show stealing
performance despite how subdued and low key she is in front of the storm that
is Siddiqui. The third lead might find acting a difficulty but Shobhita shows
that she has a spark in her.
Small cameos by
Vipin Sharma and Chhabra himself are the icing on the cake.
Raman Raghav 2.0
above all else proves why casting and a casting director are important, to find
each and every piece of the puzzle no matter how small to fit perfectly and
sink into the background and foreground of the film with such ease that the
world within comes to life and the cast named or unnamed does just that.
And the Winner is...
Honey Trehan for Udta Punjab!!!
Mukhesh Chhabra is the king of casting...well not today, while he truly is on this day it was a red herring for a cast that is not only brought together with intrigue but also worked well.
Up Next; The most fun part begins, the acting awards...all 8 supporting or leading, ranked from not the best to the absolute best
'Nuff Said,
Aneesh Raikundalia
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