Filmfare may be the oldest and most coveted award on the block but that does not make it free from an occasional myopia. Over the years a host of performances by legendary actors that have attained a cult status have gone surprisingly unrewarded. Recently there was quite a hue and cry within the industry and in the media when Sridevi's brilliant performance in her comeback hit English Vinglish met with the similar fate. The credibility of these awards have been constantly questioned with some of our hugest stars like Aamir, Salman, Akshay and Ajay boycotting them altogether. And Sridevi does not stand alone. Scroll down and you will find several memorable acts that missed out the black lady. And we ask why???
MADHUBALA (Mughal-E-Azam): There's nothing more epic than Anarkali's defiant dance before Emperor Akbar asking 'Pyar Kiya toh Darna Kya?' Her aura humbled the king while her grace floored the prince. Madhubala tore our hearts in the tragic scenes and made us sigh in the romantic ones. She may have walked off famously saying 'Yeh Kaneez Akbar ko apan khoon maaf karti hai' but we surely can't forgive Filmfare this epic blunder. (WINNER: Bina Rai-Ghunghat)
MEENA KUMARI (Pakeezah): Meena is called Hindi Cinema's Tragedy Queen for a reason. No one could portray pain like her and Pakeezah saw her attain the peak of her craft. As a courtesan trapped in a world of dishonour, she emotes through her legendary dances trying to catch a catharsis. Kamal Amrohi gave her very few dialogues asking her to speak through her eyes. (WINNER: Hema Malini-Seeta Aur Geeta)
AMJAD KHAN (Sholay): Kitne votes the? Sarkar Zero!!! Yes people. The iconic Gabbar Singh may be hands down the best villain in the history of Hindi Cinema but when it came to the Best Supp Actor award, Amjad had to return empty handed. The actor's rustic act laced with a diabolical smile and maniacal eyes struck terror pachaas pachaas kos door but Filmfare was not intimidated. In fact one of the biggest shockers is that the legendary Sholay did not win anything except a lousy one for Best Editing. (WINNER: Shashi Kapoor-Deewar)
AMITABH BACHCHAN (Deewar): This is the film where he asked his brother under the bridge 'Kya hai tumhare paas?' This was the performance where he screamed 'Jao pehle us aadmi ka sign lekar aao...' This is the act where he whispered 'Main aaj bhi phenke hue paise nahin uthaata'. This is also the role where he confronted the Almighty with the words 'Aaj Khush to bahut hoge tum' Sadly this is also one of the most legendary performances of Big B that did not win the coveted Best Actor trophy. (WINNER: Sanjeev Kumar-Aandhi)
REKHA (Umrao Jaan): Decades after Pakeezah, Rekha played the ill-fated courtesan again in the cult-classic biopic Umrao Jaan in the bylanes of Lucknow. A jinxed poetess and dancer who craves true love only to have her heart shattered every time was a portrayal so delicate and poignant that she went on to play similar roles in the future. In aankhon ki masti ke mastaane hazaaron hain but Filmfare was not one of them. (WINNER: Smita Patil-Chakra)
ANIL KAPOOR (Lamhe): Rarely do actors get a role with a graph from 15 to 50 and Anil landed just that when he played Kunwar Virendra Pratap Singh in the Yash Chopra classic Lamhe. Whether it was his teenage pangs for Pallavi or his middle-aged confusion for Pooja, Anil gave a rare performance that was restrained, subtle and suave. Touted as Yash Chopra's personal favourite from all his films, Lamhe remains one of the biggest Overseas blockbusters. It won Filmfare Best Film & Sridevi won Best Actress but Kunwarji won nothing. Ye lamhe, ye pal hum barson yaad karenge. (WINNER: Amitabh Bachchan-Hum)
TABU (Chandni Bar): As Zeenat, Tabu took herself to a place that no actress before her had ventured into. She invaded the dance bars of Mumbai playing a girl dancing to the tunes of her black fate. Her metamorphosis from a girl to wife and mother displayed the powerhouse talent she hid. She stands valiantly against the men both as a character and an artist. But her fragile world crumbles in the end despite her best attempts just like she missed the Filmfare despite such a spectacular act. And guess who the winner was? (WINNER: Kajol-Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham)
SALMAN KHAN (Tere Naam): Salman may be riding the high wave today on films like Dabangg & Ready that do nothing to tap into his talent as an actor but long back he did a film that did just that. Tere Naam was almost autobiographical where Salman tore his heart out and showed it's million pieces to the world. As Raadhey he actually played a male version of Radha pining for a drop of love. His pure submission and subsequent pain and insanity showed the scorching intensity that lay within him. (WINNER: Hrithik Roshan-Koi Mil Gaya)
AAMIR KHAN (Rang De Basanti): From one Khan to another. While most Aamir Khan fans lament that he did not win for 3 Idiots, the actor was far more deserving for his outstanding act in RDB. A character that evolves from an indifferent no-gooder to a soul kindred with the revolutionary fire of Chandrashekhar Azad, he showed why he will always be one of our greatest performers ever. (WINNER: Hrithik Roshan-Dhoom 2 - Really???)
SANJAY DUTT (Lage Raho Munnabhai): Sanju baba would have been stuck playing underworld bhais had it not been for Raju Hirani and the Munnabhai series. While the first installment was pure fun, the sequel was a more thoughtful and emotional ride with Sanjay exhibiting his unique goofiness and magic that makes this an iconic performance. Watch the scene where he pleads with Circuit to forgive him and you know what we are talking about. He makes us laugh and cry while also teaching Gandhigiri. (WINNER: Hrithik Roshan-Dhoom 2 - Again really???)
HRITHIK ROSHAN (Guzaarish): Duggu as Ethan Mascarenhas did not dance for you. He confined himself to a bed and a wheel-chair smiling helplessly when a fly sits on his nose. As a paraplegic, the actor was limited to only using his face to express his joy, pain and most importantly the feeling of helplessness as he begged for euthanasia. And the actor makes his face speak a thousand words in a single moment. His poignant performance touched us like never before but sadly Filmfare did not seem impressed enough. (WINNER: Shah Rukh Khan-My Name is Khan)
SRIDEVI (English Vinglish): She became the only one to make a victorious comeback in Bollywood history churning out a global hit single-handedly at this age without a Khan, Kapoor or Kumar. Sri's towering act as Sashi Godbole got her a standing ovation at Toronto Festival and the tag of India's Meryl Streep. She topped all Year-end lists where critics called her the front-runner for all awards of 2012 due to ''a natural & subtle performance that's always the most difficult.'' Anupama Chopra marveled how there was 'no trace of rust' despite a gap of 15 years and TOI called it a 'master-class for actors'. And yet for reasons known best to them, Filmfare did not give her any awards. Instead of 'Why India? Not the India?' Sri should ask really Filmfare, 'Why Vidya? Not THE SRIDEVI?' (WINNER: Vidya Balan-Kahaani)
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