Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut, Alia Bhatt: Actresses who enjoyed primacy in 2014

1. Kangna Ranaut: Her heartfelt performance in the women-centric melodrama “Queen” earned her a lot of kudos from critics and viewers alike. The film turned out to be a success at the box office as it bagged Rs.55 crore despite its modest budget. The actress appeared in two other films this year – “Revolver Rani” and “Ungli” – both of which did not perform very well, but her performance was lauded.

2. Alia Bhatt: Her sheer frivolity in “2 States” and her portrayal of a vibrant, free-spirited girl who develops an affectionate relationship with her kidnapper in “Highway”, has landed Alia amid a mound of praise. With three films this year, the actress made her presence felt in the cinematic world with Imtiaz Ali’s “Highway”, which raked in Rs.30 crore. The 21-year-old also appeared in “Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania”, which received a lukewarm response.

3. Priyanka Chopra: The former Miss World and National Award winning talent showcased her versatile acting talent with “Mary Kom”, a biopic on Indian boxing champion MC Mary Kom. The film collected around Rs.54 crore and further secured Priyanka’s place among top actresses in present-day tinsel town.

4. Rani Mukerji: Her personification of the aptly labelled ‘Mardaani’ police officer Shivani Shivaji Roy, and her raw, unswerving and invincible rage against the child trafficking mafia attracted humungous praise from noted critics and movie-goers. “Mardaani”, directed by Pradeep Sarkar, was a low-budget film but it minted Rs.40 crore.

5. Deepika Padukone: The exuberant role that Deepika played in “Happy New Year”, which earned Rs.188 crore at the box office, appealed to the audiences, who were also excited to see the Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika pair on-screen after they were last seen together in “Chennai Express”. “Happy New Year” is the flamboyant actress’ third hit with SRK following “Om Shanti Om” and “Chennai Express”.

6. Shraddha Kapoor: After “Aashiqui 2”, which released in 2013, “Ek Villain” and “Haider” turned out to be great projects for Shraddha Kapoor this year. While “Ek Villain” collected over Rs.96 crore, “Haider” minted Rs.50 crore.

7. Anushka Sharma: With the release of Aamir Khan-starrer “PK” right around the corner, it seems like she saved herself for the last, only to emerge as a promising wild-card entry to the bevy of actresses who dominated the year. Her pixie look and jaunty persona in the film have received as much accolades as has Aamir Khan’s ‘alien’ character in the entertainer, which has set the cash registers ringing.