The Year That Was: 2006

Mr Talented

Hrithik Roshan



2006 was Hrithik Roshan's year. With no film release in 2005 -- nothing after Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya in 2004 -- this year the actor came back with a bang with Krissh and Dhoom 2.
Hrithik has proved his acting prowess in a variety of films like Koi... Mil Gaya, Lakshya, Mission Kashmir... and with each film, he has emerged as one of Bollywood's most dependable and respected stars.

In Dhoom 2, Hrithik is a treat to watch. From his style, to the way he walks, the way he talks, the way he dances and of course the way he kisses -- which provoked an advocate in Indore to file a case for obscenity against him and Ash!

One of Hindi film's most hard-working actors, he will next be seen in Ashutosh Gowarikar's ambitious project Jodha Akbar opposite Dhoom 2 co-star Ash. With a mammoth three-film contract worth Rs 35 crore with Adlabs, Hrithik Roshan is Bollywood's top gun of the year.

Mr Controversy

Sanjay Dutt



This is a year that Sanjay Dutt will never forget.
He reprised his role as the lovable reel gangster, and a nation laughed with him in Lage Raho Munnabhai. The movie -- a big hit -- has even made it to the Oscars independently.

But the smiles could not wipe out the real frowns and the tension. The shadow of the 1993 Mumbai blasts case hung over his life. In a long-awaited verdict, Mumbai's Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court found him guilty of possessing illegal weapons. It ruled, however, that he was not a terrorist. His fans sighed in relief, though he still can get a few years in jail.

Sometimes it seems uncanny - how a controversial star can talk about Gandhigiri and a nation can listen to the preachy message coated in comedy.

Mr Perfectionist

Aamir Khan



This year was also a landmark for the Hindi film industry's most choosy actor.
It was the first year in a while that we got to see two Aamir Khan movies -- Rang De Basanti and Fanaa. The first movie created a nationwide stir, and both films were resounding hits. Rang De Basanti is India's official entry for the Oscars -- the second time an Aamir movie has gone to the Academy.

Aamir made news off the screen as well, declaring his support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan and Bhopal gas victims' struggle for justice. It earned him a few enemies too, with the Bharatiya Janata Party banning Fanaa in Gujarat.

But despite his perfectionist ways -- which sometimes don't go down too well with his directors and detractors -- he remains one of India's biggest, most bankable stars.

Mr Superstar

Shah Rukh Khan



The lovable King Khan may not be on top of the list this year but it's not going to be easy for anyone to dislodge him from the glitzy firmament of Hindi cinema.
The year saw two big and hugely awaited releases -- Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Don.

Don did not do very well, with inevitable comparisons drawn to the earlier Amitabh Bachchan starrer. And when you are compared with Amitabh, it is difficult for even Shah Rukh Khan to save a movie.

KANK received mixed reviews but SRK, playing the role of a brooding husband and a loser, was liked by almost everyone.

This year he also signed a two-year contract with Star TV to host Kaun Banega Crorepati. We hope people will like him on the small screen the way they loved him in Fauji at the start of his career.

Mr Son Shine

Abhishek Bachchan



2006 saw Abhishek Bachchan cement his position as one of Bollywood's leading heroes, despite not having a solo hit this year. Agreed, Dhoom 2 was a success, but the lion's share of the credit for that must go to Hrithik Roshan.
Abhishek's portrayal of a loving husband in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was much appreciated, and it would not be an overstatement to say his performance was the best among the star-studded cast of Karan Johar's movie.

Umrao Jaan, in which Abhishek was the sole hero, failed to woo the box office.

But this year, Abhishek made headlines the most when hyphenated with Aishwarya Rai. The gossip mills went into overdrive about the two -- where they were seen together, how they were seen together etcetera, etcetera. The climax to the AbhiWariya (that's what we have decided to crown the two) story this year was when Ash was seen in a Varanasi temple, praying with the Bachchans.

In 2007, we will see AbhiWariya again in Mani Ratnam's Guru. And the latest speculation says they might tie the knot soon.

Mr Versatile

Saif Ali Khan



The cool dude from Dil Chahta Hai wowed us in two of the best movies of the year, in roles very different from the city slicker image many thought Saif Ali Khan was limited to.
In both Being Cyrus and Omkara, Saif was superlative. As Langda Tyagi in Omkara -- Iago in Shakespeare's Othello which director Vishal Bharadwaj adapted brilliantly -- Saif was stunning. Be it his dialect or his body language, we could only applaud.

His role in Being Cyrus was quite different, though it too was a negative one. Saif has been experimenting with the kind of roles he does. All we can say is, attaboy!

In 2007, we will catch Saif in the title role of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya and Salaam Namaste director Siddharth Anand's next, Tara Rum Pum. Bring 'em on!

Mr Prolific

Akshay Kumar



This year too saw a slew of Akshay Kumar films hit the theatres -- Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye, Phir Hera Pheri, Jaan-E-Mann and Bhagam Bhag.
Humko Deewana Kar Gaye was a major flop, but Phir Hera Pheri, the sequel to the 2000 laugh riot Hera Pheri, did really well.

This year too, Akshay proved he can make the audiences laugh like few heroes can. As Agastya Rao or Champu in Jaan-E-Mann, his unusual laughter was almost contagious!

In Bhagam Bhag he reunited with Priyadarshan, whose movies have given Akshay the King of Comedy crown. In the meantime, Akshay also found time to feature in a Sikh religious video, Nirgun Raakh Liya.

The in-demand star also broke the four-film, Rs 21 crore (Rs 210 million) contract with Adlabs, because he thought the deal was not good enough.

Rumour mills are abuzz that Akshay has bagged a global movie project with Oscar-winning British actress Rachel Weisz, titled Australian Bandstand, in which he will don the role of a rugby player.

Mr Shirt-less

Salman Khan



Another actor for whom 2006 was a landmark year was Salman Khan. And not because of his two big releases, Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul. There was another Sallu release this year, Sawaan, which is not even worth mentioning.
Salman Khan will remember 2006 not for films, but for real-life drama. On February 17, he was sentenced to one year in prison and fined Rs 5,000 by a court in Jodhpur for killing chinkara, held sacred by Rajasthan's Bishnoi community. Again on April 10, Salman was sentenced to five years, rigorous imprisonment for shooting black bucks in the same poaching incident that dates back to 1998.

The star was sent to Jodhpur Central Jail for three days. His fans showed the kind of backing most only dream of. Many of them waited below his house. On his release, Salman did not disappoint them. He took off his shirt and threw it to the crowd below his Mumbai apartment.

Now, that?s what you call Bollywood ishtyle!

Mr Quips

Arshad Warsi



Arshad Warsi has been around for a long time in Bollywood, but he became a household name only after his brilliant quip-a-minute portrayal of the don's Mr Fixit in Munnabhai MBBS.
Now, it would seem the stars are finally smiling on Arshad. This year he had four releases -- Anthony Kaun Hai, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Golmaal and Kabul Express. He delighted the audiences in all of them. Even in an offbeat, serious movie like Kabul Express, Arshad's superb comic timing and poker-faced dialogue delivery inevitably made you laugh. On the small screen too, he is making waves as the host of the hit television show Bigg Boss.

Bole toh, hit hai bhai!

And the one and only...

Amitabh Bachchan



Bet you were wondering if there could be a Bollywood list of best actors without the Big B. And you are right, there cannot.
Mr Bachchan had four releases this year -- Family: Ties Of Blood, Darna Zaroori Hai, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Baabul. Two flopped, while two made quite a bit of money. And it was only his charisma that pulled off the role of Sexy Sam in Karan Johar's movie about love beyond marriage. Even at 64 years of age, Amitabh played a skirt-chaser with aplomb. And he was equally good as the doting father-in-law who wants his daughter-in-law to put the past behind her, in Baabul.

Accolades flowed too, from all corners of the world. De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, gave him an honorary doctorate of arts. So did Delhi University. The French government conferred on him its highest civilian award, the Legion d'Honneur. Amitabh became the first Indian and the sixth person in the world to be presented with a special certificate for his support to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation, an organisation working for children globally.

And Amitabh even shot 23 scenes in just five hours for Apoorva Lakhia's Shootout At Lokhandwala.

Hats off to the man's indomitable spirit!