7. Shahana Goswami (Rock On!!, Ru Ba Ru)
I don’t think anyone expected Shahana Goswami to be so brilliant in Rock On!! where she starred opposite Arjun Rampal. But the fact of the matter is that, just like Kangana, Shahana is an undeniable scene-stealer. As Debbie, she gave a completely natural performance and looked so at ease with herself that you couldn’t help but feel great affinity towards her character. In several sequences, she briefly reminded me of Konkona Sen Sharma, who is an extraordinary actress in her own right. Her performance is easily the year’s most promising breakthrough—this girl is going to go a very long way, guaranteed. She also starred in the less successful Ru Ba Ru this year. Although the film flopped, she was very impressive, proving that she can act as a great supporting actress as well as hold her own as a lead.
