Celebrities, artists, cool hotspots, and interesting experiences that are on my radar – and should be on yours too!

WOMEN IN ENTERTAINMENT

This year definitely saw some power-packed performances from women, on and off screen. While industry heavyweights like Neena Gupta (Sardar Ka Grandson, Dial 100) and Amruta Subhash (Bombay Begums, Dhamaka) came back to deliver strong acts, lots of young guns made their presence felt too. From Prajakta Koli debuting as an actor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu becoming a national favourite for The Family Man S2, to Anindita Bose, Anupriya Goenka, and Raashi Khanna standing out in ensemble casts, the industry has become richer with such a variety of interesting talents. And, after delivering two sterling performances last year (Shakuntala Devi, Ludo), this year was also a success for Sanya Malhotra with Pagglait and Meenakshi Sundareshwar. Finally, the best acting performance of the year definitely goes to Konkona Sensharma for Geeli Pucchi in Ajeeb Dastaans, for a portrayal so nuanced, so masterful, that the film became a milestone in LGBT and caste conversations in the country.