A canny cop from small town India, an Indian Muslim trying to negotiate life in post-9/11 America, an abandoned son turned assassin amid political divides and a wheelchair bound man fighting for the right to his own life and death � these are just some of the performances that separated the boys from the men this year.

Salman Khan � Veer tanked but Sallu was back with a �bangg’ as musclebound maverick cop Chulbul Pandey in Dabangg.

Shah Rukh Khan � The Badshaah of Bollywood won some rare praise from the hard to please critics with his sensitive performance as Rizwan Khan, dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome in a world gone mad, in My Name Is Khan.

Ranbir Kapoor � Rishi’s little boy proved that he had truly inherited the Kapoor chromosome with versatile performances in political thriller Rajneeti and feel good love story Anjaana Anjaani.

Imran Khan � With I Hate Luv Storys this unstoppable Khan is upwardly mobile in the cutthroat Bollywood hierarchy.

Ajay Devgn � Veteran of many acclaimed performances, Ajay proved once again that Bollywood was his playground with Rajneeti, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, Aakrosh and Golmaal 3.

Akshay Kumar � Khiladi Kumar did it again with his masterful comic timing in Housefull, Khatta Meetha and Action Replayy.

Hrithik Roshan � If there’s a true thespian among the macho men of the silver screen, it’s got to be Hrithik – his performance as a quadriplegic in Guzaarish will go down as one of the finest ever in Bollywood.

Abhishek Bachchan � The box office remained unconquered but AB Baby’s villainous Beera in Raavan and revolutionary Surjya Sen in Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se set him apart from the crowd.

Shahid Kapoor � Bollywood’s former chocolate boy left his teenybopper image way behind with Chance Pe Dance, Paathshaala, Badmaash Company and Milenge Milenge.

Rajinikanth � The Southern superstar brought his Midas touch to the Bollywood box office with the record breaking Robot.

Tags: 2010, abhishek bachchan, akshay kumar, bollywood, hrithik roshan, imran khan, india, love, ranbir kapoor, salman khan, shah rukh khan, shahi, tank, world