Tabu holds the record for the maximum number of wins in this category, having won the award 5 times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2008 and 2023), followed by Manisha Koirala and Rani Mukerji who have both won the award 3 times each, with Koirala winning in 1996, 1997 and 2003, and Mukerji winning in 2003, 2006 and 2024. and four actresses with 2 awards each (in chronological order): Dimple Kapadia (1992 & 1993), Kareena Kapoor (2005 & 2007), Vidya Balan (2011 & 2022), Bhumi Pednekar (2020 & 2023) and Shefali Shah (1999 & 2024).
3 actresses have won the award in consecutive years; in chronological order, they are Dimple Kapadia (1992–93), Manisha Koirala (1996–97) and Tabu (2000–01).
(Between 1991 and 1992, there was one special category known as the Outstanding Performance In A Non-Commercial Film, and was awarded without prior nomination to acknowledge an actor of either sex.)
(From 1993 until 1997, there was one special category known as the Critics Award for Best Performance, and was awarded without prior nomination to acknowledge an actor of either sex.)