Indie films often treat cities or villages as characters. Note how the actress interacts with the ghetto, the desert, or the small town. If she looks like she is slumming it for a charity visit, it’s a Grade C. If she smells the soil, it’s an A.

The Review: Anushka produced and performed in this brutal survival thriller. She plays Meera, a corporate woman turned avenger. The film is grim, violent, and devoid of songs.

Bollywood teaches actresses to walk in heels and sit straight. Independent cinema demands a "slouch." Look at how the actress uses her hands. Does she fidget like a real human? Or does she gesture like she’s in a stage play? A-grade actresses create a unique physical vocabulary for every role.