INDIA: 2022 managed to pull the layers of uniqueness from the Indian Cinema. Hindi, Telegu, Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam features have given their best on the basis of content-driven elements.
Now, the year is almost coming to an end, which brings us to look back at the beginning and select the best of Indian Cinema. So, buckle up your seat belts to witness the best movies selected by Transcontinental Times.
Best films of Indian Cinema released in 2022
10. Freddy
Kartik Aryana starrer Freddy is easily one of the best psychological thrillers that arrived from Bollywood. Shashanka Ghosh’s film pulls out an intriguing and unique role of Kartik on OTT screens which glues us in our seats.
The interesting story element acts as a sandwich of emotions and brutality with a spiced performance from Alaya F. With few flaws; the feature brings a gripping recipe from Indian Cinema.
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar
9. Vadh
Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta this year brought a unique take on a similar notion of thrillers. Jaspal Singh Sandhu and Rajeev Barnwal’s directorial film delivers a smorgasbord of magnet elements that attracts our attention to the storyline.
Brimming with the oceanic dept of a talented star cast, the thriller easily sets the game of cat and mouse in motion. The Bollywood film surely adds something new to the Indian Cinema.
8. Love Today
Pradeep Ranganathan has yet again delivered another innovative gem from Tamil Cinema. Following the behemoth success of Comali 2019, Ranganathan is back with his take on modern love. Encasing a philosophical touch on a phone-swapping idea, Love Today is a laugh riot with emotional punches and the heavy impact of social media on the Indian youth.
Love Today is a unique rom-com from Indian Cinema that definitely needed to be added to your watchlist. With this film, Pradeep Ranganathan has emerged as a rising star in Indian Cinema.
Available on: Netflix
7. Hridayam
Malayalam Cinema is highly known for providing exquisite films with high technical elements on a low budget. In the wide buffet of enticing movies, Pranav Mohanlal starrer Hridayam joins the list. Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Malayalam feature is more of an emotional roller-coaster moving on a track of life than just being a romantic drama.
Pranav Mohanlal, as Arun Neelakandan, acts at the centre stage, forming the pinpoint of the story. The film showcases his life journey that sprinkles friendship, romance, heartbreak, upliftment, and success quotients.
Pranav, Darshana Rajendran, and Kalyani Priyadarshan form the leading team delivering feel-good performance. Kalesh Ramanand, as Selva, steals the show as a supporting character.
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar
6. Drishyam 2
Ajay Devgn brought a tsunami to the droughted Bollywood box office with his Hindi remake of Drsihyam 2. Jeethu Joseph’s crime thriller, remade under the directorial vision of Abhishek Pathak, continues the story of the Salgaonkar family.
Vijay Salgaonkar once again faces off with the police force to protect his family at any cost. The climax pulls out a mind-blowing arsenal that wreaks havoc on the screen. This wasn’t enough for the Drishyam saga; Jeethu Joseph is set to bring the third instalment in the franchise.
Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam franchise be it in Bollywood or Mollywood continues to wow the audience that emerges as a thrilling highlight of Indian Cinema.
5. K.G.F: Chapter 2
Prashanth Neel’s K.G.F 2 unleashed the Monster from Kannada Cinema which roared at the box office. Rocking star Yash’s much-awaited sequel to the 2018 gangster drama packs an overload of heavy action sequences. This time the film gets even bigger with the talented star cast of Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon.
Facing new enemies, Rocky Bhai ventures on highly dangerous tracks to protect the KGF. With the monstrous sequel, Yash’s journey as a character is set to spawn a cinematic universe.
Prashanth Neel’s Kannada film universe is rumoured to add Prabhas’ Salaar and NTR31 to the list. Gaining huge success the Kannada film adds new heights of actioner feature in Indian Cinema.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video
4. Vikram
Lokesh Kanagraj’s Vikram offers the best of Tamil Cinema. The high-octane actioner has Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi, and Fahadh Faasil in the lead, with Suriya in a striking cameo. It also has a sound department headed by the musical magician Anirudh Ravichander. All the mentioned elements were enough to attract the audience to big screens.
Kanagraj’s signature style of biryani, heavy machine guns, and night skyrockets to the next level with Vikram. He envisioned his directorial level to such an extent creating Loki Universe (Lokesh Kanagraj Cinematic Universe). The universe comprises Kaithi, Vikram, and Talapathy 67.
The crazy action sequence, plus the swag and style of Kamal Haasan, make this film an absolute banger to watch. Vikram is indeed a high-octane actioner suited as a power-packed juggernaut unleashed from Indian Cinema.
Available on: Disney+ Hotstar and ZEE5
Honourable Mentions
Compiling multitudes of films from Indian Cinema in a single list is quite a difficult task. So, our team has added the features which definitely deserve a list of their own to honourable mentions.
Jhund
Nagraj Manjule’s directorial Jhund is a sports biopic based on Vijay Barse’s life as a retired sports mentor. This film is a gem that acts as a fusion of Marathi filmmaker Manjule and Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
The sports drama makes us feel that instead of actors, we are witnessing real-life characters on screen. The film brings something new in sports drama and biopic genre highlighting Indian Cinema.
Available on: ZEE5
Pawankhind
Digpal Lanjekar’s Shivraj Ashtak series this time brings Pawankhind on big screens. The historical drama chronicles the life of Maratha warrior Baji Prabhu Despande played by Ajay Purkar. The Marathi film take us back in time and showcase the historic event with picture-perfect brilliance.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video
3. RRR
Landing on the third spot on our list is SS Rajamouli’s RRR. The epic actioner Telugu film needs no introduction as it has roared to the global level. Thanks to a masterly penned story by literary genius V. Vijayendra Prasad, which acts as a fusion of history and fiction.
The electrifying combination of Vijayendra and Rajamouli has delivered features compiled with high-octane action sequences by Ram Charan and Jr NTR. Given the film’s worldwide craze plus the Naatu Naatu song’s selection for Oscar Shortlist, the Telugu movie has carved the name of Indian Cinema with golden letters on a globetrotting level.
Available on: Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and ZEE5
2. The Kashmir Files
Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files is based on the true story of the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. The film showcases the career-best performances from Anupam Kher, Chinmay Mandlekar, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumar. Agnihotri’s film depicts the horrors of genocide which sends a shockwave in the climax.
Available on: ZEE5
1. Kantara
Taking the number one spot on our list is Rishab Shetty’s Kantara. All the words penned to prove our love for this Kannada gem will fall short; such is the aura of this film. The BGM, cinematography, performances, and everything we can imagine are encased with perfection. While viewing the film, the screen literally converts to a window through which we witness the daily rural life of villagers.
The perfect and proud representation of Bhoota Kola forms the soul of this action thriller feature. The end sequence of the film, with the goosebumps-inducing performance of Rishab Shetty forms the heart of the feature, which beats in a cinematic manner.
Kantara is truly the best of Indian Cinema released in 2022 that encases artistic as well as massy elements.
Available on: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
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