Who won the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 62nd Filmfare Awards held in 2017?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on Indian cinema awards, specifically the Filmfare Awards, which are among the most recognised honours in Bollywood. The 62nd Filmfare Awards took place in 2017 and celebrated films released in the previous year. The Best Actress in a Leading Role category is very popular, and remembering which performance was honoured helps candidates connect actors to the films that defined their careers at that time. Knowing such details is useful for general awareness and culture related questions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The award is Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 62nd Filmfare Awards.
- The ceremony was held in 2017, honouring performances from 2016 releases.
- Options include Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, and Anushka Sharma.
- We must identify the actress who actually received the Best Actress trophy for that year.

Concept / Approach:
The key is to recall that in 2017, Alia Bhatt received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her intense performance in the film Udta Punjab, in which she played a migrant labourer who becomes a victim of drug abuse. Other strong actresses had noteworthy films around the same time, but they did not win the main Best Actress award that year. Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra already had established careers, while Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma were nominees in various years but not winners for this specific edition. Remembering the list of winners by year helps to avoid confusion among top actresses.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the 62nd Filmfare Awards honoured Hindi films from 2016. Step 2: Remember that Alia Bhatt was widely praised for her role in Udta Punjab and that she received the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for this performance. Step 3: Check the options and identify Alia Bhatt as the only name that matches this specific win. Step 4: Confirm that other listed actresses did not receive the Best Actress trophy at the same ceremony, which eliminates them from consideration.

Verification / Alternative check:
Official winner lists for the 62nd Filmfare Awards show that Alia Bhatt won Best Actress in a Leading Role for Udta Punjab. Dangal and several other films collected major awards that night, but this particular category was clearly assigned to Alia Bhatt. Checking coverage from newspapers and entertainment websites from early 2017 further confirms this, as many headlines mentioned her emotional acceptance speech. No record links this specific Best Actress award to Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, or Anushka Sharma for that year.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Priyanka Chopra is a highly acclaimed actress and former Filmfare winner, but she did not win Best Actress at the 62nd Filmfare Awards in 2017.
Deepika Padukone has also won multiple Filmfare awards in her career, but not in this particular year and category.
Katrina Kaif was part of popular films but did not receive the Best Actress trophy at the 62nd Filmfare ceremony.
Anushka Sharma has delivered many strong performances, yet she was not the winner of Best Actress in a Leading Role at this event.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often confuse years because Filmfare Awards are numbered and the ceremony year differs from the film release year. Another error is to choose the most internationally famous name, such as Priyanka Chopra or Deepika Padukone, instead of recalling the exact winner. Some candidates also mix up the Critics award for Best Actress with the main Best Actress category. To avoid these mistakes, associate Alia Bhatt 2017 win with Udta Punjab and remember that this was one of the roles that cemented her reputation as a serious performer.

Final Answer:
The Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 62nd Filmfare Awards in 2017 was won by Alia Bhatt.