There is a marked difference in the standing of the leading ladies in 2016 vis-a-vis the ones who topped the charts in 2015. Deepika Padukone led from the front in 2015, but didn’t have a single release in 2016.

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Priyanka Chopra was in the Top 3 then, but she is nowhere this time around — with Jai Gangaajal as her solo release and subsequently, her Hollywood foray, Baywatch. Kangana Ranaut didn’t have a release and Shruti Haasan, surprise inclusion in 2015 (courtesy Welcome Back and Gabbar Is Back) couldn’t make much headway due to her solitary release Rocky Handsome.

However, Anushka Sharma moved to the top of the charts, Jacqueline Fernandez made progress, Alia Bhatt stayed consistent and Kareena Kapoor Khan as well as Sonam Kapoor retained their standings in the Top 10 charts.

Rs 414 croreAnushka Sharma

[Sultan - 301.5 crore, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil - 112.5 crore]Average moolah per release: 207 croreEight years in the business and one can finally say that Anushka Sharma has got her due. For the first time in her career, she is closing a year as the highest-grossing actress of the year. Her Sultan emerged as an all -time blockbuster and despite Salman Khan in the title role, she had an equal role in the film. Ditto for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, a hit, where was a steady companion of Ranbir Kapoor in an author-backed role.

Rs 219 croreJacqueline Fernandez

[Housefull 3 - 109 crore, Dishoom - 70 crore, A Flying Jatt - 40 crore]Average moolah per release: 73 croreShe was a part of an ensemble cast in Housefull 3 and in the process, ended up gaining a Rs 100 crore hit. In Dishoom, she was one of three characters instead of being a quintessential leading lady per se, and bagged yet another success to her name. A Flying Jatt didn’t quite win her many brownie points and the film wasn’t successful either. However, on television, it did wonderful business. All in all, a good show.

Rs 201.3 croreAlia Bhatt

[Kapoor & Sons - 73.3 crore, Dear Zindagi - 68 crore, Udta Punjab - 60 crore]Average moolah per release: 67.1 croreAlia Bhatt had a good year as she chose three different, multi-centric films. She was a part of an ensemble cast in Kapoor & Sons and though she had a relatively smaller part to play, the film's success still set the stage for her. Udta Punjab showed what she is made of, as an actress, and the film got her great recognition. Later, she did Dear Zindagi which again did well. Three successes in a row!

Rs 152 croreNargis Fakhri

[Housefull 3 - 109 crore, Azhar - 33 crore, Banjo - 10 crore]Average moolah per release: 50.7 croreHousefull 3 has allowed Nargis Fakhri to find her place on the charts. Though she had a minimal part to play in the ensemble affair, she can gain from the 'hit' tag that the film received. As for her two other films, Azhar and Banjo, none set the box office on fire. She may have managed a Rs 100 crore success in a multi-starrer affair but now needs to deliver solo in order to find herself anywhere in the charts in 2017.

Nargis Fakhri, Nimrat Kaur, Ileana D'Cruz, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonam Kapoor

Rs 129 croreNimrat Kaur

[Airlift - 129 crore]Average moolah per release: 129 croreRight at the beginning of 2016, Nimrat Kaur was a part of the first success in Bollywood, Airlift. She was more than just an accompanying partner of Akshay Kumar in the film and actually demonstrated her acting skills in a couple of very important films. Though she has stepped into the Rs 100 crore club with this film, Nimrat hasn't signed a new film since. One waits to see what she picks up next.

Rs 128 croreIleana D'Cruz

[Rustom - 128 crore],Average moolah per release: 128 croreIn Rustom, she played a woman who had grey shades to her. With Akshay Kumar driving the show, Ileana D'Cruz managed a superhit to her name. She now needs to deliver with Mubarakan and Baadshaho.

Rs 111 croreKareena Kapoor Khan

[Udta Punjab - 60 crore, Ki & Ka - 51 crore]Average moolah per release: 55.5 croreAs consistent as ever, Kareena Kapoor Khan was seen in two relevant performance-oriented roles in Udta Punjab and Ki & Ka. She had contrasting parts to play in both films and was appreciated. With both flicks doing decent business, Bebo ensured that her stocks were managed well before she headed for her maternity leave. This year, she returns with Veere Di Wedding.

Rs 88.5 croreShraddha Kapoor

[Baaghi - 77 crore, Rock On 2 - 11.5 crore]Average moolah per release: 44.25 crore2016 was a very mixed year for Shraddha. While she had a superhit to her name in Baaghi, she also delivered an ultra-disaster in Rock On 2. The former had her catering to the masses and she met with a rousing reception. On the other hand, the latter had her aiming for the multiplex 'janta' and no one even bothered to check out what the film was all about. She is expected to bounce back with OK Jaanu.

Rs 75.65 croreSonam Kapoor

[Neerja - 75.65 crore]Average moolah per release: 75.65 croreWith just a single film to her name, Sonam Kapoor hit a six! Neerja was a film that didn't arrive with much of anticipation. However, the film grew very well after it fetched an all-round good response from audiences as well as critics. As a result, the film ended up going past the Rs 75 crore mark, emerging as a superhit. Sonam fetched a lot of respect as an actress and would now be seen in Veere Di Wedding.

Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang

Rs 68 croreTaapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang

[Pink - 68 crore],Average moolah per release: 68 croreTaapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang shocked the nation with Pink. The film was easily one of the most talked about in 2016 and led to discussions and debates galore. With Amitabh Bachchan as a strong pillar of support, the three young woman excelled. Taapsee now has a strong of releases in 2017 (five at last count) while Kirti is Madhur Bhandarkar's central protagonist in Main, Indu.

Disclaimers:

  1. Only Hindi film releases have been counted (no dubbed versions)  
  2. Only India business has been considered (no overseas count)  
  3. Only lead roles have been considered (no cameos, special appearances)  
  4. Only those actors have been considered whose films have generated combined revenue of at least 60 crore at the Box Office  
  5. Only those actors have been considered who have delivered at least one success as a solo heroine  
  6. All collections as per production and distributor sources