Half of 2018 is over and the year has been a remarkable one for Bollywood not only for the amazing films that have been released but also for the money that have been collected at the box office. However, what has made movie buffs extremely happy is the fact that there have been several standout performances in the supporting actor (male) category. Vicky Kaushal has been at the forefront with two big performances in Raazi and Sanju to his credit, and then there is Jimit Trivedi and Anil Kapoor.

Here’s a look at some of the brilliant performances in the supporting role in the first half of the year:

Shahid Kapoor – Padmaavat

Padmaavat might have been in the news for the unnecessary threats issued against Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali by Karni Sena but the film’s actors gave superb performances which made the film a must watch. Most people spoke about Ranveer Singh’s Khilji act and Deepika’s beauty but Shahid held his own in the film equally well. Essaying the role of Maharawal Ratan Singh, Shahid gave a convincingly royal and majestic performance in the film.

Vicky Kaushal – Sanju and Raazi

We always knew Vicky was a superb actor. Right from his debut film Masaan the actor has maintained his acting caliber. However, this year he shone in Raazi and Sanju. Playing the role of a Pakistani Army man married to Alia Bhatt in Raazi, Vicky brings a sensitivity and vulnerability to his role. Alia plays an Indian spy in the film who gets married in Pakistan to furnish intelligence secrets to her home country during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. However, Vicky’s character is oblivious to the fact. Playing Iqbal Syed, Vicky is the perfect foil to Alia’s Sehmat, and he impresses even in a brief and under-written role.

In Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju biopic based on Sanjay Dutt’s tumultuous life, Vicky shines as ‘Kamili’ the best friend of the protagonist. Ranbir might have garnered a lot of praise for bringing Sanjay’s mannerisms on screen and Hirani might have received some flak for trying to clean Sanjay’s image and not making a biopic as it should be, one man who walked away with a lot of applause is Vicky. So much so that interest in Paresh Ghelani, Sanjay’s real-life best friend on whom the role was based was paramount and he had to come forward to express his thanks for him.

Paresh Rawal – Sanju

The film Sanju is doing a roaring business at the box office and although Ranbir Kapoor is the main protagonist, there is another actor who leaves a lasting impact on the audience, and that is veteran actor Paresh Rawal. Essaying the role of Sanjay Dutt’s father Sunil Dutt on screen must have been a daunting task, especially when the latter was a man of principles and was looked up to by almost everyone in the country. Paresh spoke in an interview that essaying this role was difficult because it is easy to mimic someone’s mannerisms but how do you portray honesty and integrity on screen, but after seeing Rawal’s performance looks like he finally found the mantra to this perplexing problem.

Rishi Kapoor – 102 Not Out

How do you play a grumpy 75-year-old with a father who is 102 and yet not ready to slow down? Ask, Rishi Kapoor, as he did just this with aplomb. Rishi’s portrayal in the film 102 Not Out is what makes him still one of the actors in high demand. His care-laden attitude and the world-is-on-my-shoulders act in the film made it an extremely entertaining performance and he rightly deserves a place in the nominations this year.

Manoj Bajpayee – Aiyaary

It is very difficult to find a role of Manoj Bajpayee where he does a shoddy job, and that is the case with Aiyaary too. Playing a supporting role to Sidharth Malhotra’s main lead, Bajpayee overpowers him like no other. Aiyaary did not fare too well at the box office but Manoj shined bright in it.

Anil Kapoor – Race 3

It is rightly said that a diamond shines even in the grimiest mine. Anil Kapoor was the only original cast member of the Race film franchise to star in Salman Khan’s Race 3 and probably the only good part. The film was a debacle at the box office and Salman received a lot of flak for it. The film did good business in the initial days as it was released during Eid but soon fizzled out. However, one person who still received accolades for his acting was Anil Kapoor. The 60-year-old actor proved once again why he has been in the reckoning for all these years and still very much in demand.

Parambrata Chatterjee – Pari

Anushka Sharma’s spookfest Pari did not do too well at the box office but she was applauded for bringing a lesser explored genre on screen. However, Parambrata Chatterjee impressed with his subtle and understated performance in the film.

Sumeet Vyas – Veere Di Wedding

Sumeet Vyas wowed the audience with his web series The Perfect Roommates and eventually debuted on the big screen with this year’s girl gang film Veere Di Wedding featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Shikha Talsania and Swara Bhaskar in the lead. Although, he does not have a meaty role but Sumeet impressed with his expressions and his helplessness in making his beloved and his family come on the same page. Sumeet’s portrayal was well nuanced and in control for a film that did not give him a lot of screen space but he still manages to impress.

Annu Kapoor – Missing

Annu Kapoor is that rare actor who usually does not do a lot of films, but when he does, he ensures that his character is the only one you take with you once you leave the theatre. In a film that has such stalwarts like Tabu and Manoj Bajpayee in the lead roles, Annu still manages to hold his own and keeps the suspense and the drama intact in the film. You feel for his investigative officer role and almost starts despairing when he is unable to get a lead on the case.

Jimit Trivedi – 102 Not Out

We’re sure it’s a blessing to work with veteran actors such as Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor. However, it is also perilous because then your performance is bound to get overshadowed but Jimit Trivedi proved that a fine actor need not bother about such trivial things. His performance in the film was highly appreciated and he garnered praise from every quarter. We’re sure and hope that this gem of an actor gets better and bigger roles to play in forthcoming films.

Jaideep Ahlawat- Raazi

After playing a series of villainous roles, Jaideep Ahlawat gets the opportunity to fight the good fight in Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi. The actor plays the role of Khalid Mir, a Research and Analysis Wing agent who mentors Alia Bhatt’s character Sehmat Khan and trains her to spy on the Pakistani family into which she is married. His portrayal of a man much older than he is in real life coupled with years of experience in espionage and field work comes out as highly convincing and impressive.

Jim sarbh - padmaavat

While Padmaavat was undoubtedly Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor's show, it was Jim Sarbh as Malik Kafur, Khilji's suggested gay partner, mean, vindictive and ruthless, who left a deep mark with his brief role. In the film, Jim’s performance as the subservient Malik was widely appreciated by critics and audiences alike.