The films that have released in the first half of 2018 have been remarkable not only for the fact that they have all been big money spinners but also for the fact that they have all had a powerful female ensemble cast. So whether its Veere Di Wedding or Padmaavat the female supporting actors have managed to impress the audience with their brilliant performances. Amruta Khanvilkar, Sonam Kapoor, Gitanjali Rao, Swara Bhasker are just a few names who have managed to shine brightly in the first half of the year. So here’s taking a look at some of the outstanding performances by actresses in the supporting actor (female) category.

Aditi Rao Hyadri – Padmaavat

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat was depicted as a story between three major protagonists – Shahid Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. However, Jim Sarbh and Aditi Rao Hydari also managed to cast an impression in the role provided to them. Aditi plays Mehrunissa, Khilji’s Queen and arguably has a cameo appearance in the film. However, the dialogues that she utters show strength of character and power. She might be vulnerable and child-like but Aditi managed to portray a fearless Queen who is so much in love with her man that she will not hesitate to go against him in order to save him from ruin and destruction.

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Sonam Kapoor – PadMan and Veere Di Wedding

2018 will be remembered as the year of Sonam Kapoor. The glamorous actress conquered everything that she touched. The three films that were released of the actress in the first half of this year, Sonam does not play the central role in either of them. However, that has not made any difference to the fact that she manages to leave an impact in all of them.

Sonam has always maintained that it is the role that interests her and not the screen time or the name of her co-stars and staying true to that, she impressed with her performance in Akshay Kumar’s PadMan as well as in Veere Di Wedding. Sonam lights up the screen in PadMan with her candour in a small but significant role. In Veere Di Wedding Sonam plays a girl desperately searching for love and in the process bares her flaws with nonchalance, giving some cute and funny moments in the film. Her performance in Sanju opposite Ranbir Kapoor is also commendable. She plays the role of one of his girlfriends in the film and the altercations and the heartbreak she experiences on screen makes one yearn for her. She impresses in a small but pivotal role in the biopic.

Amruta Khanvilkar – Raazi

Marathi actress Amruta Khanvilkar proved with her performance in Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi that she is a force to be reckoned with. The film centers on Alia Bhatt but Amruta steals the show in the scenes she is seen in. Playing Munira, Alia’s sister-in-law, Amruta steals hearts with her poised and elegant portrayal.

Soni Razdan – Raazi

Veteran actress and Alia Bhatt’s mother Soni Razdan is one of the best contenders for a supporting actress award this year. Playing Alia’s mother in the film the acclaimed actress managed to portray her conflicted emotions very well on the screen. She had the difficult role of portraying a woman who is getting her daughter married in a different country with the extra baggage of knowing that she will be playing the dangerous and perilous role of a spy, and Soni managed to ace that.

Gitanjali Rao – October

Shoojit Sircar’s October launched not one but two actresses. Banita Sandhu played the female lead, Gitanjali Rao played her mother. While Banita caught people’s attention it was Gitanjali’s portrayal of an anguished mother that stays with you long after the film has ended. Gitanjali is a theatre actor and an animator, she might have faced the cameras for the first time but she has directed quite a few short films and animated films which have won many awards too. Orange and Printed Rainbow, True Love Story and Chai are some of the films she has directed.

Geetanjali Thapa – Bioscopewala

Danny Denzongpa starrer Bioscopewala is a hugely underrated film of the year. The veteran actor brought this enigmatically poignant story of Rabindranath Tagore on celluloid and matching him step-by-step was Geetanjali Thapa. Geetanjali plays the role of Minnie Basu, (the girl-child from the Tagore’s classic who befriends the original Kabuliwala) the grown-up girl who meets the Bioscopewala, the man who used to tell her stories when she was a child.

Tisca Chopra – Bioscopewala

Tisca Chopra essays a rather interesting role in the film Bioscopewala. She plays an Afghan immigrant Wahida who finds herself in a boxing ring as a burqa boxer. The actress did a commendable job in playing the role of a fighter and had to undergo martial arts training to essay her role more convincingly.

Swara Bhasker – Veere Di Wedding

Keeping aside the masturbation scene and the crass words she uses in the film, Swara Bhasker did a swell job in Veere Di Wedding. The film might have questionable points of depicting female empowerment but Swara definitely packed a punch with her devil-may-care-attitude in the film. Swara plays a bold and brazen character that adds the right amount of craziness to the film and makes it an interesting watch.

Shikha Talsania – Veere Di Wedding

Shikha Talsania stood out amongst the more famous actresses in the film Veere Di Wedding. She might have been a smaller fry as compared to Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Swara Bhaskar but Shikha managed to impress one and all with her matured performance. She is the loud and spirited woman who marries a foreigner and has a kid to look after. Her storyline was probably the most relatable in the film and Shikha did a swell job.

Dia Mirza – Sanju

Dia Mirza plays the role of Sanjay Dutt’s third wife Maanyata Dutt in the Rajkumar Hirani directed biopic Sanju. Dia, might have been away from the screens for some time but proved that she is an actress who would deliver if given the right role. She managed to portray Maanyata’s tenacity and strong character with a tinge of vulnerability effortlessly in the film.