#BingeRewind: Performances in films that lit up our screens this year!

 From debutants who dominated the screens to fan favorites who brought new characters to life,  2025 was a year of surprises when it came to performances in films!

It might take an entire universe of moving parts to shape a performance, but that universe only comes alive when an actor shows up with clarity, commitment, and an instinct that can’t be taught. Performances don’t exist in isolation, they’re built through collaboration, shaped by directors, co-actors, writers, and technicians but it’s the actor who ultimately becomes the beating heart of what we feel on-screen. And while there were many performances we admired in 2025 across storytelling styles, from newcomers surprising us to seasoned actors re-inventing themselves, these are the ones that truly stood out! They brought something distinct rooted in conviction, layered with vulnerability, and sharpened with craft. They took risks, they stretched, they transformed, and yet they stayed honest enough for us to connect with them instantly.

Check it out!

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda - Saiyaara- Netflix

Both debuts could easily be considered breakout performances of the year. Ahaan Panday delivers the portrayal of a hurt young man who knows how to hold his pain without inflicting it on the world. He balances the hardness of masculinity with an emotional softness that feels refreshing and grounded. Aneet Padda compliments him beautifully while she plays a soft-spoken girl, she brings a quiet confidence, standing her ground and evolving into a woman whose femininity is rooted equally in vulnerability and self-assurance.

Aaishvary Thackeray and Vedika Pinto - Nishaanchi 1 and 2- Amazon Prime Video

In true Kashyap fashion, the characters of Babloo–Dabloo and Rinki Rangeeli land in the perfect hands of Aaishvary Thackeray and Vedika Pinto. Both actors understand the madness that inhabits this universe and its characters, yet they know exactly how much to rein it in. Aaishvary’s double role is a lesson in how to balance two polar-opposite personalities with precision and flair. Vedika’s performance as a frustrated woman on the verge of losing the plot but never losing herself is perhaps to learn from.

Vishal Jethwa - Homebound- Netflix

While the film itself along with co-star Ishaan Khatter carries enormous weight, Vishal Jethwa is the true anchor of Homebound. His greenish eyes, his innocence, and his stubborn belief in an unfair world, is almost infectious, and his slow surrender during the long walk back home is heartbreakingly convincing. The breakdowns, the hallucinations in the desert, they feel painfully real, gut-wrenching, and unflinchingly honest, confronting your privilege in the cruellest way possible.

Vicky Kaushal- Chhaava- Netflix

Vicky Kaushal embodied the stature, the power and the aura that Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had. He not only performed the character, he became him at one point. From getting the right Marathi accent to shining through in battles scenes and giving justice to what Sambhaji Maharaj stood for, Vicky Kausal truly has added another charm to his list of versatile filmography.

Siddhanth Chaturvedi- Dhadak 2 -Netflix

Siddhanth Chaturvedi plays the role of a college going Dalit boy who just wants his right to proper education. The scenes where he was constantly bullied feel heart breaking because how accurately he brings out emotions of fear on his face. But also, in scenes where he finally lets go of that fear and stands up for himself, he delivers a rather strong performance!

Emraan Hashmi and Yami Gautam- Haq Not released on OTT yet

Even though Emraan Hashmi plays a negative role in Haq, his character is some convincing of his beliefs at certain points that he makes you stop and question it all for a minute. Even if he is wrong, he is so confident in his belief, especially during his monologues in the courtroom that you cannot help but commend him for the performance he puts forward for us! On the other hand, Yami Gautam makes us feel for her deeply as Shazia Bano. From being a wife who was head over heels in love with her husband, to someone who had to step out of her bubble and be stern for her rights, her character development in Haq was one for the books! 

Avinash Tiwary and Boman Irani - The Mehta Boys - Amazon Prime Video

Given that the film revolves around a father and son, both Avinash Tiwary and Boman Irani deliver such a gripping tug-of-war of emotions that it’s impossible to say who outshines the other and that’s a good thing. Boman brings an innocent, slightly irritating rigidity layered with the quiet wisdom of a father who believes he knows best, while Avinash channels the restless, conflicted energy of a young man still figuring life out yet unwilling to listen to anyone. Together, they hand your own emotions back to you in the most relatable, disarming way.

Manoj Bajpayee- Jugnuma

Manoj Bajpayee as Dev in Raam Reddy’s festival-acclaimed Jugnuma: The Fable with his restrained performance lent his midas touch to the poetic storytelling of the film.He was profoundly nuanced as the aristocratic, mild mannered man who is distressed by the frequent fires in his orchids, who spoke very little but carried immense emotional depth in a remarkable show of his acting range!

Ranveer Singh and Akshaye Khanna - Dhurandhar- In Theatres

When you’re the star actor on whose shoulders a film is largely banked, it’s usually assumed you’ll always remain at the centre. But not with Ranveer Singh, who knows how to play as part of a team. His restrained performance as Hamza is not only commendable especially for a spy who must seamlessly blend into his surroundings but also creates space for Akshaye Khanna to go full throttle as the flamboyant Rehman Dakait. And Akshaye Khanna leaves no stone unturned, relishing every second of playing this notorious gangster whose killing methods are almost kaisanuma in their eccentricity.

The entire neurodivergent cast - Sitaare Zameen Par- YouTube

The entire cast of Sitaare Zameen Par - Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishnan Varma, Vedant Sharmaa, Naman Misra, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Ashish Pendse, Samvit Desai, Simran Mangeshkar, and Aayush Bhansali deliver performances so endearing that anyone who watches the film instantly falls in love with them. Their screen presence is unmatched, and their commitment to their characters makes neurodivergence accessible and understandable even to those who may not fully grasp it otherwise.

What are some of your favourite performances this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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