Piku Banerjee- Definitely one of Deepika’s best performances yet. The actress played the titular character in Shoojit Sircar’s slice-of-life dramedy. Her character resonated with a major chunk of women (and everyone else!) in India with her independent, irritable, moody, yet caring personality.

Gangubai- Alia’s Gangubai Kathiawadi emerged to be one of the few blockbusters in Bollywood this year and rightfully so. Gangubai’s transformation from a young girl with innocent dreams to rule the silver screen one fine day, to turning into a brothel madam and a social activist truly makes one stop and wonder.

Vidya Bagchi- A pregnant woman in desperate search of her missing woman. Need we say more? Vidya Balan forced everyone to take note of her acting range and talent. She did a convincing job of playing a clueless pregnant lady on the streets of Kolkata, who is at once nervous yet determined.

Aisha- Wake Up Sid follows the lives of Sid (Ranbir Kapoor) and Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma). Sid meets Aisha at his college farewell party and they start talking. Aisha is smart, independent, and empathetic, and her journey of self-discovery and love in Mumbai is worth watching.

Amrita Sabharwal- Directed by Anubhav Sinha, Thappad is about Taapsee Pannu’s character Amrita, whose seemingly-perfect life is shattered after her husband slaps her at a party. Amrita’s character shows determination and maturity. She was someone who chose integrity and self-respect over an extremely important relationship.

Shashi Godbole- Played beautifully by the legendary late actress Sridevi, Shashi makes a statement without outrightly making one. She plays a homemaker cum entrepreneur who is continuously ridiculed by her family for not being fluent in English. Her journey toward reclaiming her identity, integrity, and respect, is the plot of the film.