Readers' Choice: Best Actors, 2009

It's the time of year for award shows, and while we watch a few and complain about some others, we at Rediff decided to give you the power to choose the best of the year.

We asked you to pick the year's best actors, and you've come up with an interesting, unpredictable list. Nicely done, and you've picked five performances that have been quite iconic this year. Here's a look.

5. Ranbir Kapoor in Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year

The young Kapoor has been impressing us with his star power and screen charisma. But Shimit Amin's film saw him trade all the trendy packaging and stylish tee-shirts to play a simple everyman, an ambitious Sikh with a conscience. It's a passively powerful acting job, impressive simply because he makes it look easy.

It's been over two decades since he sang about the last day of college in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and incredibly Aamir, now 45, can clearly still sell the collegeboy act.

His Rancho is a cocky, self-confident hero who isn't afraid to cry, and has entranced the nation with his 'Aal iz well' mantra.

In the performance of a lifetime, Shahid Kapoor plays twins Guddu and Charlie, orally handicapped by a stutter and a lisp.

The brothers are diametrically different -- a soft NGO worker and a well-built street tough -- and Kapoor does well enough for both of them to feel like different people. Wow.

He's still got it.

Amitabh Bachchan, 67, has been experimenting for a while but his eyes still light up at the sight of something he hasn't done before. In Balki's Paa, he plays a 12-year-old progeria patient called Auro. Bachchan, sans baritone, manages to completely get into the skin of the character. Applause, as always.

It might not technically be the year's finest piece of acting. But when it comes to star power, there's nobody quite like Salman Khan, something he showed off with the year's second biggest hit.

Wanted has nothing but him. But Salman plays the outrageous cop-crook character with such superstar-power that it's hard not to smile. Truly a larger than life star, this.