Some performances don’t just recreate a life, they make you feel its pulse. Every few years, an actress steps into the shoes of a real woman, not for glamour or awards bait, but to honour a voice history shouldn’t forget. These actresses didn’t try to perfect the people they played. They let them stay flawed, funny, angry, stubborn and misunderstood. That’s the real tribute. Here’s a small salute to a few who’ve done it with honesty.
Priyanka Chopra – Mary Kom
Priyanka didn’t play Mary Kom as an underdog waiting for miracles. She played her as someone who expects to fight. The physicality, the bite in her dialogue, the burning eyes that refuse to accept disrespect, she captured a hunger for victory that comes from being underestimated your whole life. It felt less like portrayal and more like retaliation.
Alia Bhatt – Gangubai Kathiawadi
Alia gave Gangubai swagger without turning her into a caricature. There’s wit, unpredictability and a sharpness that doesn’t beg for sympathy. She didn’t glamorize the character, she gave her agency, humour and a ruthless charm. You don’t just watch her speeches, you feel the authority behind them.
Patralekhaa – Phule
Patralekhaa’s Savitribai doesn’t shout to prove courage and that’s exactly why it hits deeper. There’s a quiet strength in how she stands up to caste prejudice, calm, patient and stubborn in her compassion. She strips away performance and simply inhabits the woman. No melodrama, no exaggeration, just an educator walking to school every day with chalk in her hand and revolution in her routine. That sincerity becomes the power of her portrayal. She lets Savitribai change history without needing to raise her voice.
Sushmita Sen – Taali
Sushmita brought dignity to Gauri Sawant’s story. She played her with charm, humour and a refusal to shrink herself for anyone. There’s no sensationalism in her performance, only a fierce insistence on respect.
Deepika Padukone – Chhapaak
Deepika didn’t lean into tragedy, she leaned into survival. The stillness in her performance made you sit with the weight of it. She honoured resilience more than pain and that choice defined the film.
Keerthy Suresh – Mahanati
Keerthy Suresh breathes life into Savitri in Mahanati, capturing her grace, vulnerability, and indomitable spirit with astonishing authenticity. Her performance transcends imitation, becoming a heartfelt tribute that anchors the entire biopic.
Vidya Balan – Shakuntala Devi
Vidya made the mathematician feel unpredictable, flamboyant and fully human. She wasn’t just solving numbers, she was challenging the world’s expectations of women who dare to be brilliant and imperfect at the same time.
