Best Actor in a Leading Role 2014: Popular Choice

We pick the 5 best and most popular performances of 2014. You can vote for the Best Actor in a Leading Role of 2014 at the bottom of the article. Also read : Best Acting Performance in a non-conventional film

1. Aamir Khan (PK): Aamir Khan lives his characters. Whether it is Sanju in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Munna in Rangeela or Bhuvan in Lagaan, very few actors can match the on-screen acting histrionics of Aamir. But he did the impossible in PK.

Not only did Aamir nail the Bhojpuri accent, but he got everything from his expressions, body language, dance – perfectly right. Watch out for the scene where he chews paan for the first time or when he prays to god for food and gets a samosa in his hand, Aamir didn’t get a single expression wrong in PK. The character was an extension of Rancho (3 Idiots) in the sense that he was an outsider who teaches the world how to live. But with PK, Aamir takes commercial movie acting to another level with his dedication and hard work. A flawless performance that deserves every popular award this year – along with Shahid Kapoor in the critics category.

2. Hrithik Roshan (Bang Bang): Hrithik was the most good looking / stylish lead actor of 2014 and a film like Bang Bang did complete justice to his looks and his image. And it was a bonus point, that Hrithik was perfect in playing his character, rising above the script time and again. He did the action scenes with élan and his chemistry with Katrina Kaif was too hot to handle. Along with Dhoom 2, Bang Bang is the best commercial portrayal of Hrithik’s personality so far. Unfortunately, his larger-than-life presence and hard-work deserved a better script and director.

3. Salman Khan (Kick): Salman was back in form in Kick after the highly disappointing slogfest called Jai Ho. It seemed as if he was genuinely having fun playing the role of Devil and who can forget his scintillating dance to the song “Saat Samundar Paar”. Even though he was pitted against someone like Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Salman still managed to make a mark and he made sure that his character reached the hearts of the audience even if they didn’t understand him (like the famous dialogue in the film).

4. Shah Rukh Khan (Happy New Year): SRK’s Happy New Year was the Diwali Blockbuster of 2014 and the superstar made a mark playing the role of Charlie. Even though the role didn’t have a lot of scope for acting, he still managed to make an impression with his expressions that showed his desire to get revenge. His comic timing was impeccable and he made it a point to not take the spotlight in HNY, a film that actually belonged to his co-star Abhishek Bachchan.

5. Akshay Kumar (Holiday: A Solider Is Never Off Duty): Akshay might have been playing a role which had already been played by a different actor, but to get the mannerisms right and to look the part and be convincing takes some doing. The reason why Holiday became such a sleeper hit was because Akshay was so good in it and his chemistry with Sonakshi was also appropriate even though a tad bit overdone. We can’t wait to see Akshay take his Holiday character to the next level in 2015’s Baby.

Honorable Mentions: Abhishek Bachchan (Happy New Year), Amitabh Bachchan (Bhootnath Returns), Varun Dhawan (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania), Arjun Kapoor (2 States), Riteish Deshmukh (Ek Villain).