Bollywood awards season: Deserving stars and films that were ignored

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Our list of some praiseworthy performances that were surprisingly disregarded or not given due importance this awards season

When Sooraj Pancholi was given the Best Debutant - Male trophy at a popular awards function recently, it reopened the debate about awards functions being a big farce with near-zero credibility. Many felt that Masaan actor Vicky Kaushal deserved it much more than the star kid.

Award galas always make us wonder about the real definition of excellence and are dubbed as an ego-massaging exercise. Last month, Kangana Ranaut, who packed a punch in 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns', told hitlist that she wouldn't attend any of those "commercial events" even if it meant going without an award for another year. And she didn't get the Best Actress trophy in any of the functions although her double role act was award-worthy. Many other laudable performances and films were ignored too. Here's our list of disappointing misses in the just-concluded awards season:

Salman Khan

They say you have to leave your brains at home to watch a Salman Khan movie. But with his touching performance in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', he proved his detractors wrong. The Kabir Khan directorial went on to become the highest grosser of 2015 and his best so far. But the tremendous buzz that it created did not match the number of awards it received.

Irrfan

While he was much appreciated for his 'Piku' act, and also for lending good support in the Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-starrer 'Jazbaa', his incredible and haunting performance in Anup Singh's indie film 'Qissa' largely went unnoticed. Naturally, but sadly, there were no award for what was, arguably, his finest work till date.

Shashank Arora

The newbie, who played the titular role in Kanu Bahl's indie film 'Titli', sadly missed out on nominations this year. His powerful act in the dark, neo-realistic film stole the limelight from his senior co-stars Ranvir Shorey and Amit Sial as he strived to break free from the shackles of his gory family and find his paradise. However, he was not feted for his brilliant debut.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

His realistic act in 'Manjhi: The Mountain Man' garnered critical appreciation while his supporting role as journalist Chand Nawab in 'Bajranji Bhaijaan' won the hearts of many, but he hardly received awards this season.

Vicky Kaushal

He made an exceptionally impressive debut with his nuanced, convincing performance in Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Masaan'. He played Deepak, who belongs to a corpse-burner background but tries to rise above the restrictions of his community. Snubbing him at the awards season elicited a lot of criticism from various quarters.

'Baahubali'

SS Rajamouli's magnum opus, which was made on a humongous budget of nearly Rs 250 crore, impressed the audience, industry folk and critics alike. The visual effects made the movie watching experience even grander. It definitely deserved more awards than it was given.

Akshay Kumar

Director Neeraj Pandey got the best out of Akshay in 'Baby'. His character as an Indian spy was refreshingly different from many of his action entertainers, but, the Khiladi did not receive many nominations or awards.

Imtiaz Ali

His last film, 'Tamasha' starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, was not a money-spinner, but he did manage to portray his efficiency as a director. His deft handling of the characters, especially Ved (Ranbir), who is torn between leading the life he wants and what society expects from him, was remarkable. Unfortunately, though, he wasn't considered for any award by the 'juries'.

Kangana Ranaut

Well, who would have done justice to the double role she played in Aanand L Rai's successful film, 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns'? She played a Haryanvi student-athlete Kusum and the quirky Tanu with equal ease. However, she did not rule the Bollywood awards season this year. Perhaps, due to her wont-attend-awards-shows stance?