Al pacino

The repertoire: It doesn’t matter which movie it is or who the co-star is, Al Pacino will keep you glued to the screen. From the moment he surfaced in Godfather, he’s had us hooked. From there on, as cop or killer, as god or devil, he has continued to mesmerise us in more ways than one. The man who was inspired by Brando has himself inspired a couple of generations of actors. (But if Ocean’s 13 is a sign of things to come we are rather wary of where Al is headed from here.)

High 5: The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Scent of a Woman, Scarface

Wow moment: In Dog Day Afternoon when he comes storming out of the bank shouting “Attica! Attica!”

t2 rating: 9.5/10

Naseeruddin Shah

The repertoire: He could go brave and bare for a Paar and go Oye oye in a Tridev. Right from his FTII graduation film The Hero, Naseer has proved he can do just about anything in front of the camera. Yes, he has done a lot of trashy commercial work but even today given the right script, this man can can set the screen on fire. Pestonjee to Parzania, Mirza Ghalib to Monsoon Wedding.

High 5: Sparsh, Paar, Masoom, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Monsoon Wedding

Wow moment: In Sparsh, when Shabana tries to assist him to make a cup of coffee, he gets enraged at the thought of his blindness being viewed as a handicap.

t2 rating: 9.5/10

Jack Nicholson

The repertoire: From The Cry Baby Killer in 1958 to The Bucket List in 2007, this man’s given us 50 years of great showmanship. Even when he declares Crash as the Best Film at the Oscars, the twinkle in his eyes and the use of his hands ensure that the presenter is more arresting than the presented. Of late he has become a tad repetitive but then again you can’t imagine The Departed without him.

High 5: As Good As It Gets, About Schmidt, Chinatown, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, A Few Good Men

Wow moment: In the last scene of As Good As It Gets, when the man who has never said a single nice thing about anybody tells Helen Hunt that she is the greatest woman on earth.

t2 rating: 9/10

Aamir Khan

The repertoire: When DJ breaks down for the first time in front of Sue at the dinner table, Rang De Basanti soars from a good to grand. And Aamir Khan has done that time and again. While the Raja Hindustanis and Fanaas have continued to sustain the star that was born in QSQT, his “other” movies have reflected the real him. So we just can’t wait for his official directorial debut Taare Zameen Par.

High 5: Laagan, Rang De Basanti, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Sarfarosh, 1947: Earth

Wow moment: In 1947 Earth, after he peeps through the window at Nandita Das and Rahul Khanna making love, he stares into the distance with a beedi dangling from his lips.

t2 rating: 9/10

Robert de Niro

The repertoire: You may struggle to list great movies of many great actors but no such problem with Robert De Niro. The best thing about him is the sheer volume of classics that he has been a part of. Of course it has helped that he has been a constant collaborator with a man called Martin Scorsese. Often considered the greatest actor alongside Pacino, the two will be seen turning on the Heat together again in Righteous Kill.

High 5: The Godfather: Part II, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Cape Fear

Wow moment: In Taxi Driver, when De Niro’s Travis Bickle gets ready in front of the mirror and says: “You talking to me?”

t2 rating: 9/10

Irrfan

The repertoire: A better part of his acting debut in Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay was chopped off on the editing table but it was the same director who couldn’t think beyond Irrfan when it came to The Namesake’s Ashoke Ganguli. He delivered and how! Just like many Hollywood legends, Irrfan has shone irrespective of his limited screen time. Watch out for the scene when he “services” Konkona in Metro and you would agree there are few around to match this maverick methodist.

High 5: The Namesake, Life in a... Metro, Maqbool, Rog, Haasil

Wow moment: In The Namesake, when he finally tells Kal Penn’s Gogol the story behind his name

t2 rating: 9/10

Anthony Hopkins

The repertoire: The only problem with Hopkins is despite his incredible talent and hypnotic charm in front of the camera, he has become synonymous with Hannibal Lecter. While there is a question mark over his versatility there’s no denying the fact that he can be an absolute treat to watch on any day in any role.

High 5: The Silence of the Lambs, Nixon, The Lion in Winter, Amistad, The Remains of the Day

Wow moment: While every scene of The Silence of the Lambs is a classic, the one in which Hopkins tells Clarice about the screaming lambs is sheer genius.

t2 rating: 8.5/10

Amitabh Bachchan

The repertoire: He has done enough bad movies to undo the remarkable work he has done over the years. But as in cricket, form is temporary, class is permanent. The class that was evident in Saat Hindustani but finally accepted only when he kicked the chair away from Pran in Zanjeer. Brilliant in comedy, Amitabh perhaps lost out on many great movies because of his angry young man trappings. Still, a total tour de force!

High 5: Agneepath, Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Black, Khakee

Wow moment: In Amar Akbar Anthony when he berates himself in the mirror after being bashed up by goons

t2 rating: 8/10

Kevin Spacey

The repertoire: There can be huge debate on whether he has done enough to belong to this list but his quality of work more than makes up for the lack of quantity. Even screen time is no factor as Spacey has shown in movies like Se7en and The Usual Suspects. And the fact that he can trade movies for theatre makes him a must pick. A Lex Luthor (in Superman Returns) a year will do for us.

High 5: American Beauty, Se7en, The Usual Suspects, The Life of David Gale, LA Confidential

Wow moment: In Se7en, when Kevin’s John Doe storms in with blood all over him and screams for attention: “Detective!”

t2 rating: 8.5/10

Saif Ali Khan

The repertoire: We haven’t gone by the National Award he won for Hum Tum but by the consistency he has shown ever since he reinvented himself with Dil Chahta Hai. And when you start remembering characters — Sameer in DCH, Shekhar in Parineeta, Karan in Ek Haseena Thi, Cyrus in Being Cyrus, Langda Tyagi in Omkara — rather than the star, you know the Chhote Nawab’s doing something just right.

High 5: Omkara, Dil Chahta Hai, Ek Hasina Thi, Parineeta, Being Cyrus

Wow moment: In Omkara, when Langda Tyagi is in bed with his wife (Konkona)

t2 rating: 7.5/10