There are good actors, there are great actors, but there are a few who fall into a different category. They are not only brilliant in their performances but they also do it consistently without being repetitive. These are actors who have achieved what few others can and who set examples for others with their acting ability.
The first is none other than Sanjeev Kumar. Be it tragedy, comedy, romance, or playing double his age, he has done it convincingly and with elan.
The second is Balraj Sahni. His performances in films like Do Beeghan Zameen, Kabuliwala, Garam Hawa makes him an all time great.
The third is Anil Kapoor. Just look at the list of his films and the performances in them, this is where you can differentiate men and boys. He gets into the skin of the character and portrays it so effeciently that you just can’t believe that he is acting, it looks so real. Lamhe, Eeshwar, Ram Lakhan, Tezaab, Biwi No 1, Taal, My Wife’s Murder, Karma, Yudh, Pukar, are just a few feathers in his hat. All these have different kind of characters and all of them portrayed so naturally.
The fourth is Naseeruddin Shah. Is anything needed to be written about this great actor. His name itself spells qualiyt acting.
The fifth in the list is the great thespian, Dilip Kumar. All new actors and the ones established now regard him as their teacher. They all have tried to copy him, but the original remains and will remain.
If I were to pick the top 10 actors in Hindi Cinema, then the other five in the list would be:
Anupam Kher.
Om Puri.
Paresh Rawal.
Amitabh Bachchan.
Aamir Khan.