Being ‘over-rated’ does not necessarily mean – being terrible at what you do. It simply means – being bestowed with more accolades than you deserve based on the quality of your work.
There are some mainstream superstars of Bollywood, which perfectly fit that definition.
For years people have confused a ‘great star’ for being a ‘great actor’, because of which the likes of those who have had a certain bankability in the box office, have been presented as the representatives of Indian talent in the world of showbiz.
While in reality, the greatest of talents haven’t always been able to find that kind of success and never really receive the same volume of accolades – be it the mainstream awards, or the media coverage.
These actors could be ‘fairly talented’, but certainly not as talented as represented by the number of awards they’ve won or the place they hold in popular culture.
So here are the top 10 over-rated actors of Hindi cinema, in no particular order:
Shah Rukh Khan
SRK is a decent actor who’s entertained us with his romantic on-screen ‘hero’ for years. But despite all the multiple awards he’s won over the years, SRK’s limitations as an actor can be clearly witnessed when he attempts to step-out of his ‘romantic’ characters. The reason why he’s labelled ‘overrated’ is because he’s presently the most awarded actor in Popular award shows, while there are dozens others, who are more talented than him.
Amitabh Bachchan
Sr. Bachchan has had some pretty great performances in his kitty – but majority of the rest are often over-the-top and unnecessarily loud. Even his critically acclaimed performance in ‘Black’ verged at being unnecessarily theatrical. Big B is a good actor, but he isn’t necessarily – ‘actor of the century’, and hence, he’s placed on this list.
Aishwarya Rai
A former Miss World and beauty queen, Aishwarya Rai has always been regarded for her beauty. But did you know – she’s also the most awarded actress in Filmfare award history? How did that happen – when we have had so many other great talents in Indian cinema in the past 20 years? This serves as a reason why she has been called over-rated many a times.
Kareena Kapoor
Kareena Kapoor has had more misses in her career than hits. And that’s just the sad reality. Yes, she showed her potential in a film like ‘Jab We Met’, but that is strongly contrasted by her work in some other high-profile appearances. And we’re not even talking about the commercial aspect of her films.
Hrithik Roshan
Like many mainstream actors of our cinema, Hrithik too has indulged in doing more than what is needed to express an emotion. He is not entirely a bad actor. No, not at all. But the reason why he’s overrated is because his supposed best performances, for which he even won several awards, are those that would make you question his inability to not overact at all – like Koi Mil Gaya, Krrish and Dhoom 2.
Hema Malini
Hema Malini is a beauty icon and the undisputed ‘dreamgirl’ of Indian cinema, but that does not necessarily translate into her performances, acting-wise. This is an example of how, over the years, we have mistaken great beauty or great success with great talent. Hema Malini, no doubt, is one of the most iconic stars of our cinema – but if you solely concentrate on acting, and then you contrast it with the accolades she’s received, then her placement on this list perfectly makes sense.
Preity Zinta
There was a time in Bollywood when Preity Zinta was being featured on several A-list Bollywood flicks year-after-year, and getting nominated for each of those performances. But her most adored performances, be it ‘Naina’ from Kal Ho Na Ho or Nisha from Koi.. Mil Gaya, are proof of why she may be a loved star, but an over-rated actress.
Sonam Kapoor
Despite plenty of opportunities and meaty roles like ‘Neerja’ and ‘Raanjhana’, Sonam hasn’t been able to escape the reflection of her upper-class upbringing in her roles. Often lacking of emotions, her performances make her a perfect fit for this list.
Vidya Balan
While Vidya Balan has often been regarded as one of the most gifted talents of this generation and has won several accolades for her performances, she’s often pretty one-dimensional with her art if you look at it objectively. Even her act in ‘Dirty Picture’ was hard to believe due to all the theatrics, and slow-motion dialogue deliveries. But she actually ended-up winning several accolades for the same. And was later even given a Padma Shri. Hence her placement on the list.
Ajay Devgn
Yet again, this list isn’t about – the worst actors of Indian cinema, but the ones who are ‘overrated’, hence there was no point in including those who aren’t considered ‘great actors’ in the first place. Ajay Devgn has often been put in the category of the best actors of Indian cinema, and we believe that was simply because he wasn’t seen in lavish roles and extravagant sets like some other mainstream actors. But his performances often lack the prowess deserving of a title like that, and hence he’s on this list.
It would be nice to one day see accolades being given, where they’re actually due.
Which actors, male or female, do you think are the most over-rated in Hindi cinema?
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