My favorite Sara Ali Khan film is Kedarnath (2018). Set in a hill station in the middle of one of the majestic temples in Uttarakhand, this film delved into the tragic romance of a young couple who find their fates intertwined with a devastating flood. Marking her debut opposite the talented Sushant Singh Rajput, Sara’s Mandakini/Mukku was a well-sketched character. She was outgoing, courageous and bold, determined to challenge the rigid ideas of her orthodox family. Despite hailing from another religion, she treated the humble porter Mansoor with kindness, proving the purity of her heart. Raised in the lap of the snow-capped hills, Mukku was as bright as a ray of sunshine, illuminating the lives of her close ones with warmth and love. It was harrowing to watch her lose the love of her life to the fury of nature. Her transition from a bubbly woman to a despondent one was heartbreaking but her unceasing love for Mansoor inspired her to carry on with her life. As a debutant, Sara impressed the audience with her confidence and acting abilities, projecting herself as a promising leading lady. It is no wonder that today she is a versatile actress capable of acing complex roles effortlessly. (My favourite Sara Ali Khan film is... March 22)

Aayman Anwar Ali

Sara Ali Khan is a beautiful and extremely talented actress, even at such a young age. Of all her films I loved Zara Hatke Zara Bachke the most. Sara portrayed Saumya, a newly-married girl. She lives in a joint family and wants to have a house of her own in the city. But when they cannot afford such an expensive house, Saumya and her husband (played by Vicky Kaushal) fake a divorce and things start to take a nasty turn. When her aunt-in-law is fighting for her life, Saumya realises that her family is more important than the mere house of bricks she is desperate for.

Dayita Chakraborty

I liked Sara’s performance in Aanand L Rai’s romantic film Atrangi Re. The movie is not a conventional love story, rather it has layers which offer an almost-newcomer like Sara opportunities to explore her acting abilities. Sara injects life in the movie as Rinku, a crazy, small-town girl. She did a commendable job along with two experienced and brilliant actors, Dhanush and Akshay Kumar. The pretty Sara fitted beautifully into her role with her Bihari dialect. Though she appears happy-go-lucky, she hides a sorrowful secret from her childhood. She is actually a psychiatric patient and in the throes of a dilemma.

Sara’s fine acting skills gave life to the vibrant Rinku and beautifully articulated her feelings for the real Vishu (Dhanush) and an imaginary father figure Sajjad (Akshay Kumar). Her dance performance in Chaka chak was also good to watch. Sara’s performance showed emotion but not in a cliched way. She looked smart and confident. Overall, her acting range in this movie was most impressive.

Sarbani Banerjee

Kedarnath happens to be one of my favourite movies of Sara Ali Khan, where she was paired opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. She played Mukku Mishra, the youngest daughter of a priest. She meets Mansoor (Sushant), a porter who carries pilgrims and their goods along the way to Kedarnath temple. One day she hires Mansoor and on that journey, they share their stories and in the process, a sweet relationship develops.

But Mukku is forced to marry a man chosen by her family, while Mansoor and his family are thrown out of the village. A sudden cloudburst followed by flood and landslides washes away her home, along with her mother and elder sister. When a helicopter comes to their rescue, she and Mansoor help others board it, but in the end, Mansoor sacrifices his life and makes sure that Mukku is saved.

Moubani Paul