The ten best performances in 2017 that touched, moved, stunned, and made us think.

In Vidya Balan do you find a carefully studied, thoughtful portrayal of a wife and a mother packed away amongst millions of others like her in the far-flung city suburbs, rushing through the morning routine to pack off her husband, Ashok (Manav Kaul) and son Pranav (Abhishek Sharrma, portraying all the angst and fun so naturally), adrenaline pumping, high steam pressure stewing to ensure they get their breakfast on time, and everything else ready for them to scoot out the house. In her act do you find the sudden listlessness of a mid-morning, the heartbeat quieter, the pace languid, the clew of her life sliding into a routine that could turn foggy with despair. Sulu, thankfully, is made of stronger stuff, and spends her day participating in dial-in radio contests, and actually winning along the way, an assortment of household items that may be useful or back-up as giveaway presents.

Note the exquisite scene at the table when Little asks Juan what the word faggot means. Ali’s act is so tip-toeingly delicate – his deep voice down to a silky route – so poignant here, as he explains to the child what it means; and to his next question if he’s gay, Juan tells him, “You can be gay, but don’t let anyone call you a faggot”, and that is such a quiet, beautiful embrace of humanity in all its diversity.