16 Malayali actors among Indian cinema’s 100 greatest performances of the decade!

Popular entertainment website Film Companion pulled off a near impossible task by compiling the 100 greatest performances in Indian cinema this decade. The list was created by top critics like Baradwaj Rangan, Vishal Menon, Anupama Chopra, Rahul Desai, Mohini Chaudhuri, Sankhayan Ghosh, Ganesh Matkari, Karthik Keramalu and Sankeertana Dantuluri.

The list consists of greatest performances from all Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi. From Malayalam cinema, 16 actors made it to the list. Interestingly, Nivin Pauly and Fahadh Faasil are the only Malayali actors who have two of their performances in the list.

1. Salim Kumar (Adaminte Makan Abu)
2. Sajitha Madathil (Shutter)
3. Thilakan (Usthad Hotel)
4. Hareesh Peradi (Left Right Left)
5. Mohanlal (Drishyam)
6. Prithviraj (Mumbai Police)
7. Jayasurya (Iyobinte Pusthakam)
8. Mammootty (Munnariyippu)
9. Nivin Pauly (Premam and Moothon)
10. Fahadh Faasil (Maheshinte Prathikaram and Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum)
11. Suraj Venjaramoodu (Action Hero Biju)
12. Vinayakan (Kammattipaadam)
13. Aishwarya Lekshmi (Maayanadhi)
14. Parvathy (Uyare)
15. Joju George (Joseph)
16. Soubin Shahir (Kumbalangi Nights)

Apart from Nivin and Fahadh, Tabu (Andhadhun, Haider), Irrfan Khan (Paan Singh Tomar, Lunchbox), Dhanush (Raanjhanaa, Mariyaan), Manoj Bajpai (Gangs of Wasseypur, Aligarh) & Vijay Sethupathi (Super Deluxe, Aandavan Kaattalai) also found their names twice in the list.

Kamal Haasan (Papanasam), Shah Rukh Khan (Fan), Aamir Khan (PK), Suriya (24), Amala Paul (Aadai), Keerthy Suresh (Mahanati), Sai Pallavi (Fidaa), Vidya Balan (The Dirty Picture), Nithya Menen (OK Kanmani), Karthi (Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru), Arjun Sarja (Kadal), Madhavan (Vikram Vedha), Rakshit Shetty (Ulidavaru Kandanthe), Bobby Simha (Jigarthanda), Ranbir Kapoor (Rockstar), Vicky Kaushal (Masaan), Ayushmann Khuranna (Andhadhun), Ranveer Singh (Bajirao Mastani), Alia Bhatt (Highway), Deepika Padukone (Piku) Kangana Ranaut (Tanu Weds Manu Returns), Vijay Deverakonda (Arjun Reddy) and Nani (Jersey) are some of the other popular stars in the list.