KHANS - Salman, Srk, Aamir rocked 2012

• Staff

The year 2012 proved to be a good year for Bollywood films at the box office.

It was a game changer year for actors such as Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee, Irrfan. Few actors like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn strengthened their box office hold.

They kept appearing in different avatars throughout the year rising and shining, thanks to their flawless performances and charisma.

Whether they played a deaf-dumb boy, a boisterous cop, a spy or a dreaded gangster, these dedicated bunch of actors made sure you got your penny's worth.

Here are the top Hindi film actors of the year 2012:

Indian Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui attend the GQ award ceremony. (AFP)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui:

Nawazuddin Siddiqui emerged as the real hero of reel. He was seen in 2012 in 'Kahaani', 'Talaash', 'Paan Singh Tomar', 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Chittagong', Dekh Indian Circus' and 'Miss Lovely'. He was the ubiquitous super talented actor who always got overshadowed by the lager than life heroes of Hindi cinema. His unconventional looks, small stature never got him the role of a hero he deserved. Till 'Gangs of Wasseypur' happened. His acting capabilities as gangster Faizal Khan in the film made him a star.

Indian Bollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee poses during the "Gangs Of Wasseypur" success party in Mumbai. (AFP)

Manoj Bajpayee:

He was always there, everyone knew about his talent but 2012 brought Manoj Bajpayee in the centre-stage which was missing for some time. His power-packed performance as a gangster in Anurag Kashyap's 'Gangs of Wasseypur' bowled critics and audience. He even excelled as freedom fighter Surya Sen in Bedabrata Pain's Chittagong that focused on the Chittagong uprising.

Indian Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor poses during the Tata Open India International Badminton Challenge 2012 in Mumbai late December 16, 2012. (AFP)

Ranbir Kapoor:

The fact that he is a 'Rockstar' was known from his debut film 'Saawariya' itself. But this Kapoor scion continued to take the legacy forward with 'Barfi!' One could never imagine there could be a deaf-dumb hero in Hindi cinema till Ranbir Kapoor played Murphy. His heart-warming portrayal of a deaf and mute boy made people laugh and cry at the same time. We won't be surprised if Murphy gave the 'Gangs of Wasseypur' a tough fight in the award season.

Indian Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan poses as he attends the 'Big Star Entertainment Awards 2012' ceremony in Mumbai late December 16, 2012. (AFP)

Irrfan:

After establishing himself as an actor of great calibre in India, Irrfan is making waves in Hollywood. Irrfan's portrayal of an athlete-turned-gangster in the biopic titled 'Paan Singh Tomar' showed the apathy of a system that can turn people's conscious. The film did well at the box-office and also brought critical acclaim for Irrfan. After quite some time Irrfan featured in a Bollywood production but his performance surely will remain etched for long.

Indian Bollywood actor Salman Khan poses as he attends the 'Big Star Entertainment Awards 2012' ceremony in Mumbai late December 16, 2012. (AFP)

Salman Khan:

Bollywood fans will find it difficult to remember when was the last time he delivered a flop. This year too the actor continued his winning streaks with two Box Office bonanzas - 'Ek Tha Tiger' and 'Dabangg 2'. His portrayal of an Indian spy in 'Ek Tha Tiger' and a corrupt yet benevolent cop Chulbul Pandey in 'Dabangg 2' was received well by the movie buffs and helped makers earn big bucks at the box-office.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan smiles as he takes questions from a journalist during a press conference to promote his new film "Talaash," Dec. 4, 2012. (AP)

Aamir Khan:

Though Aamir's suspense thriller 'Talaash' opened to mixed response, his Midas touch helped the film earn profits at the box-office, both, in India and in the overseas market. Critics felt script was not impressive, but Aamir performance as usual impressed his fans. It is important to mention that his television talk show 'Satyamev Jayate' depicting the various demons of Indian society garnered more popularity for him than his movie in 2012.

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn attend the GQ award. (AFP)

Ajay Devgn:

After 'Singham' and 'Golmaal 3', Rohit Shetty gave Ajay a distinct style in 'Bol Bachchan' - his witty one-liners and Hindi to English translations, took audience on a laughter ride. In 'Son of Sardaar', he donned the garb of a sardaar and walked away with accolades, again. Both his films went on to earn over Rs.100 crore at the box-office.

Cast member Shah Rukh Khan arrives for the screening of the movie "Don - The King is back" at the 62nd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin February 11, 2012. (REUTERS)

Shah Rukh Khan:

Shah Rukh Khan's 'Jab Tab Tak Hai Jaan' received mixed reviews from critics. But audiences loved his romanctic persona yet again. Yash Chopra's last directorial venture saw the return of the king of romance. The film opened to mixed response despite the huge buzz around SRK's pairing with Katrina Kaif for the first time.

Akshay Kumar poses as he attends the 'Big Star Entertainment Awards 2012' ceremony in Mumbai late December 16, 2012. (AFP)

Akshay Kumar:

Akshay Kumar gave films like 'Housefull 2', 'Rowdy Rathore', 'Oh My God', 'Khiladi 786' and 'Joker' in 2012. Though for humanity sake it is better to forget 'Joker', his other outings this year earned him profit. Akshay displayed his hardcore action stunts in 'Rowdy Rathore' which entered the Rs 100 crore (INR) club.

SRC