Vidya Balan the next big thing in Bollywood these days have had a very rocky patch in the journey of her career up till now. Starting off with Parineeta which was a huge success for a fresh actress Vidya took many roles which were challenging and bold and has proved she to be the finest amongst all the new entries in the industry and is now considered as the leading contemporary actress.

Taking about her five megahit movies it is not difficult to pin them out because she has done only a few good films since 2005 and most of them were not so appreciated by the Indian cinema despite Vidya’s acting in it. So according to the statistics and the box office records Parineeta, Lage raho munna bhai, Paa, Ishqiya and Dirty Picture are Vidya Balan’s best movies.

Pareenita was a musical for which Vidya won her first Filmfare award as a newcomer and was nominated as a best actress of the year at the Filmfare Awards. Second mega Hit was Lage raho munna bhai Vidya’s biggest commercial success which was a sequal to Munna bhai MBBS received great appreciation. Ishqiya was a very bold move for Vidya as it changed her whole image from a girl next door to a player. Paa on the other hand was another stand out role for Vidya as she performed very well as a single mother of a diseased child and a divorcee. Then came the most awaited movie of Vidya that is The Dirty Picture in which audience was surprised by her boldness and loved her side they never saw before, it received a mind blowing opening and is positioned among the top five movies of year 2011. 

In 2005 starting with Parineeta till now in the dirt picture, famous Bollywood actress Vidya has played different roles in her movies. She debut as Lalita a simple idealistic girl in Parineeta who was the heart and soul of the story. Then in 2006, she portrayed the role of Jhanvi in the movie Lagay Raho Munna Bhai, as a radio-jockey for that she met and observed real radio jockeys at work. She worked as a supporting role Guru as a woman suffering from multiple sclerosis. Her next release was a multi-starrer romance Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love in which Balan played the role of a television reporter, Tehzeeb Hussain, suffering from a memory loss condition for her performance she got positive reviews saying “Vidya’s transformation from a self-assured working woman to a helpless, vulnerable person is superb.”

Then in the movie Bhool Bhulaiyan she performed splendidly well as a woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder. In the movie Paa she played the role of a young independent gynecologist who is also a single-mother struggling with her 12-year-old son’s progeria syndrome, this role was a turning point of her career and won her Filmfare Award for Best Actress and a Star Screen Award for Best Actress, among other awards.

Her next film was Ishqiya in which she played sexually manipulative abandoned wife. Her character was described as a femme fatale, and her performance was applauded by critics and brought Vidya Balan Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and a second consecutive Star Screen Award for Best Actress.

In her movie No One Killed Jessica Vidya Balan played her first real-life character, that of Sabrina Lal, Jessica’s reticent sister who struggled for years to get justice. She portrayed anguish and strength through her performance. And then came The dirty picture in which Vidya played controversial and provocative actress role who struggles hard to stay on the top and get viewers approval.

It is said that ‘either it is an actor that makes a film or it is a film makes an actor’; in Vidya’s case we can clearly say that she has made her movies through her dedication and finding her path in the industry. Facing the impossible odds i.e. belonging to a middle class family having no links in the industry and with no extra ordinary looks; Bollywood popular and hot actress Vidya started off with a great film with huge co-actors but later lost her path in the industry by signing up for roles that were not meant for her but she did not lose hope and fought it with the aim to become India’s number one. So she focused on her acting skills where other girls would have focused on glamour. From Bhalo Theko (debut Bengali film) to Parineeta (Debut Hindi film) and from there to Dirty Picture she has been trying so hard to fit in the Cinema getting weak roles and low budget films Vidya got lost in the Industry. She was willing to start over from scratch to find her way and prove her and so she did. Now she has proved herself as Hindi Cinema’s most courageous and most versatile Bollywood actress of the present era.

With her bold and seductive on screen performances in the movies like Parineeta, Ishqiya and Dirty Picture she has broken her simple girl next door image and is now the subject of most discussions. Who needs a ZERO figure when you have such a great talent and when you can actually act? Though Kareena and Katrina are the Bollywood’s most desirable majorly because of their looks Vidya is desired because of her versatility in acting and so that makes her the new number one leaving Kareena and Katrina behind.

From Actor’s Guild Award to Golden Globe Awards and the Critic’s Choice Awards, all these ceremonies look like a red carpet for the one and only annual Academy Awards, and why not. From the super tan Charlize Theron walking on the red carpet the year she won her first Oscar to Sean Pean winning the Oscar for his role as gay, the Oscars has never failed to surprise us. This year will not be any different, the glamour and glory can be expected of the Oscars at very least, as the 26th February is announced as the final date for the 84th Annual Academy awards.

The most controversial, bizarre and the unconventional cinema which might not be applauded at the box office, becomes the ultimate favorite of both media and the fans as soon as it gets recognition by the Oscars. This year too, like many times before a list of both famous and not so famous movies has been listed in the nominees for the Academy awards.

I am no critic to suggest who is going to win or who deserves it more, but as an analyst it is nice to put a light on what has been nominated and who has got better chances than others. Starting from the best picture category, there are nine movies that has been nominated in the Best Picture category this year which include the Artist, The Descendants, Money Ball, War Horse, Tree Of Life, The Help, Hugo, Midnight In Paris and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the list alone explains the quality of work done in Hollywood this year. When you see the likes of Steven Spielberg and Brad Pitt as film-maker it becomes hard to suggest who is going to be better War Horse , The Tree Of Life or Money Ball. All has the wit and character to steal the show, but when Avatar couldn’t win an Oscar then it is absurd to make speculations about anything because you never know, but as an analyst I would say The Artist has a better chance than any other movie. Let’s wait and watch.

The second most important category in the film-making category is the nominees for the best director. A couple of familiar faces like Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese are to be seen in the list but at the same time the new ones like Terrence Malick are also trying to break the ice. The critics have named Michel Hazanavicius the favorite for her direction in the Artist. We wish best of luck to all the nominees.

Moving down to the most highlighted set of individual awards that is the Best Male and Female in leading role categories. This category is going to decide who is going to be the king and queen of the Hollywood for the coming year. The Academy Awards has been known to be rewarded to actors and actresses who have pulled out brilliant and exceptional performances in a film and there is no other recognition which an actor or an actress needs if he or she has won an Oscar. Mickey Rourke and Hilary Swank are a true example of the stardom touching the feet after winning an Oscar for Hollywood stars, so this category is without doubt the most important of all the categories in individual awards.

This year the actors topping the rest to reach the Oscar nominees as best Actor male are Demian Bichir, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt. I know all the female fans would love George Clooney and all these fans should be happy as the critics has also nominated George Clooney as the most deserving for his role in The Descendant. Moving on to the ladies category Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Maryl Streep and Michelle Williams are nominated in the Best Actress nominees for the year. When you have got movies like The Help in the list, it is not hard to name Viola Davis as favorite because for her remarkable performance she truly deserves it.

Oscars 2012 are just around the corner and for that sake the nominations have been announced. Some fabulous Hollywood movies made significant impacts with very eloquent story lines. 9 films of 2011 have been nominated for Best Picture category. For the first time, a Pakistani short story documentary has been nominated at the Oscars. We bring you the short and brief nominees in the most prominent categories for your delight:

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Picture

• War House
• Moneyball
• Descendants
• The Tree of Life
• Midnight in Paris
• The Artist
• The Help
• Hugo
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Actress

• Glen Close for Albert Nobbs
• Viola David for The Help
• Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady
• Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Michelle Willaims for My Week with Marylin

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Actor

• George Clooney for The Descendants
• Jean Dujardin for The Artist
• Brad Pitt for Moneyball
• Damian Bichir for A Bestter Life
• Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor

• Jonah Hill for Moneyball
• Kenneth Brannagh for My Week with Marylin
• Christopher Plummer for Beginners
• Nick Nolte for Warrior
• Max von Sidow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress

• Berenice Bejo for The Artist
• Octavia Spencer for The Help
• Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids
• Jessica Chastain for The Help
• Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Director

• Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
• Alexander Payne for The Descendants
• Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
• Martin Scorsese for Hugo
• Terrence Malik for The Tree of Life

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature Film

• A Cat in Paris
• Chico & Rita
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Puss in Boots
• Rango

2012 Oscar nominations for Best Documentary Short Subject 

• God is the Bigger Elvis
• The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
• Incident in New Baghdad
• Saving Face
• The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Hold your breath everyone as BAFTA has announced the Orange Nominations of 2011 for 2012. Some of the most outstanding movies in the year 2011 made their way to the well deserved nominations of BAFTA including Moneyball, The Descendants, The Help, The Ides of March and many more. Clearly, George Clooney has dominated the Hollywood with his extremely stupendous acting skills and dazzling personality. Let us have a quick look on the nominees in different criteria:

2012 BAFTA Nominations for Best Film

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• The Help
• Drive
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2012 BAFTA Nominations for Best Animated Film

• Arthur Christmas
• The Adventures of TinTin: The Secret of the Unicorn
• Rango

2012 BAFTA Nominations for Best Director

• Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
• Martin Scorsese for Hugo
• Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive
• Toman Alfredson for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• Lynne Ramsay for We Need to Talk About Kevin

2012 BAFTA Nominations for Best Leading Actor

• Brad Pitt for Moneyball
• George Clooney for The Desecendants
• Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• Michael Fassbender for Shame
• Jean Dujardin for The Artist

2012 BAFTA Nominations for Best Leading Actress

• Meryl Streel for The Iron Lady
• Berenice Bejo for The Artist
• Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin
• Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn
• Viola Davis for The Help

2012 BAFTA Nominations for Best Supporting Actor

• Jim Broadbent for The Iron Lady
• Christopher Plummer for Beginners
• Jonah Hill for Moneyball
• Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Ides of March
• Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn

2012 BAFTA Nominations for Best Supporting Actress

• Jessica Chastain for The Help
• Carey Mulligan for Drive
• Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids
• Judi Dench for My Week With Marilyn
• Octavia Spencer for The Help

The 2011 Fimlfare Awards were hosted by Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor. Movies like Dabangg, udaan, My Name is Khan, Rajneeti, Guzaarish and Band Bajaa Baarat did a good business on box office. Here is the list of 2011 Filmfare Awards winners is as follows:

Filmfare Award winners in 2011

• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Film 2011: Dabaang
• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Director 2011: Karan johar, My Name Is Khan
• Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2011: Sharukh Khan, My Name Is Khan
• Filmfare Award for Best Actress 2011: Kajol, My Name Is Khan
• Filmfare Award for Best Music 2011: Lalit Pandit, Sajid Wajid for Dabangg
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor 2011: Ronit Roy, Udaan
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 2011: Kareena Kapoor, We Are Family
• Filmfare Award for Best Debut Male 2011:Ranveer Singh, Band Baaja Baaraat
• Filmfare Award for Best Debut Female 2011: Sonakshi Sinha, Dabangg
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Male 2011: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Female 2011: Mamta Sharma,  Munni Badnaam hui

Held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai, 2010 Filmfare Awards had 30 categories out of which 3 were critics awards, 3 special awards and 24 main awards for Indian cinema. With 60 nominations in top 10 categories, the awards were hosted by Saif Ali Khan and Shahrukh Khan. Movies like 3 Idiots, Paa, Dev D, Love Aaj Kal, Kaminey, Luck By Chance and New York got overwhelming response from the audiences. 2010 Filmfare Awards winners list is as follows:

Filmfare Award winners in 2010

• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Film 2010: 3 Idiots
• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Director 2010: Rajkumar Hirani, 3 Idiots
• Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2010: Amitabh Bachchan, Paa
• Filmfare Award for Best Actress 2010: Vidya Balan, Paa
• Filmfare Award for Best Music 2010: A R Rahman, Delhi-6
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor 2010: Boman Irani, 3 Idiots
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 2010: Kalki Koechlin, Dev. D
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Male 2010: Mohit Chauhan, Masakali
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Female 2010: Rekha Bhardwaj, Genda Phool

Idea Cellular and The Times Group presented these awards. Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor hosted these Awards at Yash Raj Studios. Jodha Akbar and Rock On won the most number of awards. The most nominated movies in different categories were Rock On and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. In addition to these, movies like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Dostana, Ghajini and Rashion did a brilliant business and provided the much wanted Indian masala, drama and melodious songs. 2009 Filmfare Awards winners are as follows:

Filmfare Award winners in 2009

• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Film 2009: Jodhaa Akbar
• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Director 2009: Ashutosh Gowariker, Jodhaa Akbar
• Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2009: Hrithik Roshan, Jodhaa Akbar
• Filmfare Award for Best Actress 2009: Priyanka Chopra, Fashion
• Filmfare Award for Best Music 2009: A R Rahman Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor 2009: Arjun Rampal, Rock On
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 2001: Kangana Ranaut, Fashion
• Filmfare Award for Best Debut Male 2009:Farhan Akhtar, Rock On
• Filmfare Award for Best Debut Female 2009: Asin Thottumkal, Ghajini
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Male 2009: Sukhwinder Singh, Haule Haule
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Female 2009: Shreya Ghoshal, Teri Ore

India’s most prestigious awards, Filmfare Awards were held at Yash Raj Studios and hosted by Saif Ali Khan and Shahrukh Khan. The Times Group and Idea Cellular presented these awards. Taare Zameen Par and Guru received the most number of awards. Om Shanti Om was the most nominated movie of the year. Here is the detailed account of 2008 Filmfare Awards Winners:

Filmfare Award winners in 2008

• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Film 2008: Taare Zameen Par
• Filmfare Award for Best Bollywood Director 2008: Ami Khan, Taare Zameen Par
• Filmfare Award for Best Actor 2008: Shahrukh Khan, Chak De India
• Filmfare Award for Best Actress 2008: Kareena Kapoor, Jab We Met
• Filmfare Award for Best Music 2008: A.R. Rahman, Guru
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor 2008: Irrfan Khan, Life In A Metro
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 2008: Konkona Sen Sharma, Life In A Metro
• Filmfare Award for Best Debut Male 2008:Ranbir Kapoor, Saawaraiya
• Filmfare Award for Best Debut Female 2001: Deepika Padukone, Om Shaanti Om
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Male 2008: Shaan, Jab Se Tere Naina
• Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer Female 2008: Shreya Ghoshal, Baro Re