Actors that took Bollywood by storm in 2012

If Salman Khan ruled the roost in 2012, his rivals Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan too made a mark. But the year also saw actors like Irrfan, Manoj Bajpayee and Nawazuddin Siddiqui rising and shining on film firmament, thanks to their flawless performances.

From playing a rowdy cop to a deaf-mute boy or bringing alive a real-life gangster on screen - actors donned various avatars and entertained movie buffs throughout the year.

Here are top 10 actors of the year 2012:

Salman Khan: The actor continued to be on the top with two hits - Ek Tha Tiger and Dabangg 2. His portrayal of an Indian spy in Ek Tha Tiger and a corrupt yet benevolent cop Chulbul Pandey in Dabangg 2 was received well by the movie buffs and helped makers earn big bucks at the box-office.

Ranbir Kapoor: After Rockstar, this Kapoor scion continued to take the legacy forward with Barfi!. He made people laugh and cry with his heart-warming portrayal of a deaf and mute boy Murphy in the film directed by Anurag Basu. The role required him to showcase different emotions without speaking a word, and the actor excelled in it.

Aamir Khan: Though Aamir's suspense thriller Talaash opened to mixed response, his midas touch helped the film earn profits at the box-office, both, in India and in the overseas market. Critics felt script was not impressive, but Aamir's portrayal of a police personnel trying to solve a murder case while mourning his 11-year-old son's death impressed his fans.

Shah Rukh Khan: Critics felt that Shah Rukh has outgrown lover boy roles. In Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Yash Chopra's last directorial venture, more than his romantic avatar, people loved him as an army personnel. The film opened to mixed response despite the huge buzz around SRK's pairing with Katrina Kaif for the first time.

Akshay Kumar: Khiladi Kumar batted as many as five hits. He had six outings this year - Housefull 2, Rowdy Rathore, Joker, Oh My God and Khiladi 786. Except for Joker, all the Akshay-starrers raked not only earned profit, but some even entered the Rs.100 crore club. From doing hardcore action stunts to tickling the audiences' funny bones or donning the garb of 'god', Akshay happily brought forth different aspects of his
personality through different roles and viewers lapped it up.

Ajay Devgn: After Singham and Golmaal 3, Rohit Shetty gave Ajay a distinct style in Bol Bachchan - his witty one-liners and Hindi to English translations, took audience on a laughter ride. In Son of Sardaar, he donned the garb of a sardaar and walked away with accolades, again. Both his films went on to earn over Rs.100 crore at the box-office.

Irrfan: His gripping portrayal of an athlete-turned-gangster won many hearts in the biopic titled Paan Singh Tomar. The two-year wait proved fruitful as the film not only did well at the box-office but also brought critical acclaim for Irrfan from all over the world. It can be said that no one other than Irrfan could play the role with so much conviction that people could feel the emotions.

Manoj Bajpayee: The 2012 brought sunshine for Manoj, who was in the oblivion for some time. His power-packed performance as a small town gangster in Anurag Kashyap's successful Gangs of Wasseypur wowed both critics and audience alike. He even excelled as freedom fighter Surya Sen in Bedabrata Pain's much talked about Chittagong that focused on the Chittagong uprising.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui: He was there, but nobody noticed the talented actor with unconventional looks till Gangs of Wasseypur happened. His acting capabilities as gangster Faizal Khan in the film made him a star. Nawaz also proved his mettle as an actor with Kahaani and Talaash.

Sanjay Dutt: After playing positive roles and doing comedies, Sanjay revived Bollywood's larger than life villain with his role as Kancha Cheena in Agneepath remake. He sent shivers down the spine as the ruthless, cold-blooded Kancha Cheena and his dreadful make-up did the trick. Later in the year he took a U-turn and tickled the funny bones of the audiences in Son Of Sardaar.