2021 was all about meaty Bollywood roles. From a super cop of India's biggest cop universe to the untold story of Kapil Dev's big world cup win, some heroes have surprised us with their never-seen-before prowess while others have managed to keep up the momentum even after all these years. 

Here’s a look at some of the exceptional and best performances onscreen by our leading male actors this year!

RANVEER SINGH - 83

Ranveer Singh hit it out of the park in Kabir Khan's 83, quite literally. The sport-film, that traces India's journey during their big World Cup 1983 win, is being called the actor's career's best performance and well, why not? For starters, Ranveer got his look of Kapil Dev perfectly, he put life into the film and his role. Flawlessly directed by Kabir Khan, the film focused on Ranveer's honest and passionate performance. He dropped out of his otherwise filmy hero image for this one and passed with flying colors! 

AHAN SHETTY - TADAP

Touted to be India's new action superstar, Ahan Shetty - the dashing 25-year-old son of Bollwyood supersta\r Suniel Shetty - left everyone surprised with his big Bollywood debut Tadap. In the Milan Luthria's directorial opposite B-town sweetheart Tara Sutaria, Ahan showed what it's like to make a blockbuster entry in the film industry. As Ishana, Ahan hit it out of the park with his acting skills and action sequences. The audience and film critics acknowledged his talent and termed him as the next superstar of B-town.

AYUSHMANN KHURANA - CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI

When Ayushmann Khurrana headlines a film, we must expect the unexpected and well, his latest film with director Abhishek Kapoor was no different. Starring Vaani Kapoor and Ayushmann, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui brought the best in the actor. Ayushmann as Manu shines as a Jatt boy who grapples with his social bias. For once, he gets an opportunity to flaunt a rippled body along with his acting chops and Ayushmann doesn’t disappoint on both counts. His crackling chemistry with Vaani is the cherry on the top. 

AKSHAY KUMAR - SOORYAVANSHI & BELLBOTTOM

Trust Akshay Kumar to leave the audiences and critics impressed with each and every performance of his. Be it a tough cop in Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi or a RAW agent in Ranjit M Tewari's BellBottom, AK knows his job pretty well. In Sooryavanshi, Akshay delivers a knockout performance. From his seeti-worthy entry to the relentless gunshots — he justifies his super cop act. Overall, it’s an Akshay show all the way with his star power and screen presence looming large and joining him with full support are Simmba Ranveer Singh and Singham Ajay Devgn. Well, what better than witnessing Rohit Shetty's cop-universe trio together? 

In BellBottom, 'one man army' Akshay looks, walks and talks like a 32-year-old RAW agent and carries the film effortlessly on his shoulders. Flaunting his bell-bottoms and retro look, AK owns the screen. Be it his acting skills, body language, or dialogue delivery, the actor delivers a perfect performance.

ARJUN KAPOOR - SANDEEP AUR PINKY FARAAR

Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra's Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar was definiently the underdog of this year. While the Dibakar Banerjee direcotrial highlights the story through Pari's POV, Arjun manages to deliver an impactful performance as well. He manages to go out of his comfort zone, especially in his last scene. Arjun's dialect, body language and expressions are noteworthy as well.