Top 10 Heroines of 2012

Listed are top 10 heroines who made a strong impression in 2012 Tamil Cinema.

1. Sunaina (Neerparavai) 

Sunaina, who was merely used as glam doll in her previous movies, got the role of her lifetime in Neerparavai. She was very impressive in her deglamorized role and she got her expressions spot on in emotional scenes. Assuming she has dubbed for the movie in her own voice, she has a shot at national awards this year.

2. Lakshmi Menon (Sundarapandian, Kumki)

3. Samantha (Naan Ee, Neethaane En Ponvasantham)

Samantha impressed everyone with her looks as well as acting skills. Naan Ee gave her the much-needed break and Neethaane En Ponvasantham proved that she can play a central role in a movie. Despite mixed opinions, Samantha dubbing in her own voice is a welcome change in Tamil cinema.

4. Viji Chandrasekhar (Aarohanam)

Viji Chandrasekhar carried the role of a bi-polar disordered woman so convincingly. She was able to portray the differences between the mood swings easily.

5. Amala Paul (Vettai, Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi, Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal)

Amala Paul had three releases this year. She showed a lot of energy and vulnerability in her roles. She came out with some credible performances. She had ample screen space in KSY along with Siddharth and utilized the opportunity well.

6. Anushka (Thaandavam)

We saw a never before seen Anushka in Thaandavam. She looked homely and her role was poignant. She made a huge impact in her brief role.  

7. Kajal Aggarwal (Thuppakki, Maattrraan)

Kajal was fortunate enough to act in two of the high profile movies that came out this year. She did make her presence felt in both the movies with her glamorous looks and some effective acting.

8. Hansika Motwani (Oru Kal Oru Kannadi)

Hansika looked charming in her role. She was able to pull off the comical sequences with ease. She had to cope up with Santhanam, which she had managed quite well. Hansika's infectious smile and bubbliness were liked by our Tamil audience.

9. Varalakshmi Sarathkumar/Varu (Podaa Podi)

Varalakshmi Sarathkumar’s debut showcased her dancing skills to the world. Her dialogue delivery and modulation were spontaneous and witty. If the movie had  released a couple of years ago, we would have seen more of Varu by now.

10. Shruti Haasan

Shruti as Janani was very effective in first half as she looked and behaved like a school girl. But, her second-half performance carried some mixed reviews among critics. This pulled down her overall ranking in the list. Nevertheless, Shruti did well in one of the very few author backed roles for heroines this year.

Notable Mentions who did not make it to top 10:

Manasi Parekh (Leelai), Bindhu Madhavi (Kazhugu), Nandita (Attakathi), Remya Nambeesan (Pizza), Ileana (Nanban), Dhanshika (Aravaan)