2022 was all about entertainment but without compromising on content. Over these 12 months, the Indian film industry has provided the audience with films ranging from horror, comedy, thriller, mystery, drama and romance. While effectively co-existing with theatres, leading streaming giants treated movie buffs to some of the most unconventional, engaging and quality stuff.
From the intricate and layered Gehraiyaan, sweet, simple and heartwarming Sharmaji Namkeen, edge-of-the-seat Jalsa to daring Darlings, aesthetic masterpiece Qala, whacky Monica, O My Darling and twisty Govinda Naam Mera, we were treated to some beautiful films this year.
As 2022 comes to an end, let's take a look at all those films which managed to entertain us.
Gehraiyaan
Gehraiyaan revolved around the lives of four people who navigate through the financial crisis, love life problems and much more. It received polarised reviews from critics as well as the audience. Despite that, the Shakun Batra directorial found its loyal fans. For several months, Gehraiyaan remained to be the talk of the town.
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A Thursday
A Thursday, set in Mumbai, revolved around the timeline of incidents that take place in 24 hours. Yami Gautam played the role of a kindergarten school teacher who endangered the lives of 16 students, one driver and one house help. The film told an important story laced with an interesting plot loaded with emotions.
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Jalsa
In one of the year's finest films, Jalsa, Vidya Balan played the role of a celebrated journalist and Shefali Shah was her househelp. The film revolved around a hit-and-run case. Directed by Suresh Triveni, Jalsa was a perfect balance of thrill and drama.
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Sharmaji Namkeen
Rishi Kapoor's last film, Sharmaji Namkeen, was as jolly, joyful and lovable as his personality. Due to his illness and sudden demise, the film was left incomplete and Paresh Rawal had to step in to fill his shoes. While doing so, director Hitesh Bhatia gave due respect to both veterans in the most beautiful way.
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Kaun Pravin Tambe
Shreyas Talpade played the role of cricketer Pravin Tambe in his biopic directed by Jayprad Desai. The film which was about an Indian cricketer who made his IPL debut at the age of 41 years and became the oldest ever IPL debutant, having been picked for Rajasthan Royals in 2013 even though he had never played professional cricket, was received well by the critics as well as the audience.
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Dasvi
Dasvi, as the title itself suggested, revolved around the 10th board exam. The story belonged to Ganga Ram Chaudhary (Abhishek A Bachchan), the notorious, corrupt and illiterate CM of his state. While serving his tenure in jail, he was encouraged by a no-nonsense cop to complete his standard 10 exams to progress in life. The film subtly balanced humour with an important message.
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Thar
Bringing the Western Noir genre to India, Thar made for a gritty and engaging watch. Headlined by Anil Kapoor, Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Mukti Mohan, the Netflix film garnered much attention and appreciation for its content and overall presentation.
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Goodluck Jerry
Despite being a remake of Nayanthara's Tamil language black comedy, Kolamaavu Kokila, Janhvi Kapoor's Goodluck Jerry was a brilliant work of art. Just like a standalone film, it created the right amount of buzz and was admired by the critics as well as the audience. It was home to some beautiful performances, especially by Janhvi.
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Darlings
Darlings was hands-down one of the best films to release on OTT. Ticking every box, director Jasmeet K Reen made a rock-solid feature film debut. Darlings revolved around Badrunissa and her abusive husband Hamza. However, after constant harassment, the docile Badru decided to take things into her hands and put an end to domestic violence. Her mother Shamshunissa also joined in.
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Cuttputlli
Akshay Kumar and Rakul Preet Singh's Cuttputlli was an edge-of-the-seat thriller. It revolved around an aspiring filmmaker who was desperate to direct a film based on serial killers. However, when he was forced to make a career in the police force, he got the responsibility of tracking down a child abduction case.
Jogi
Diljit Dosanjh headlined Jogi told the story of the massacre and aftermath faced by Sikhs after Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984, in Delhi. Despite being a melodramatic feature film, it managed to keep the audience invested. Ali Abbas Zafar directed the Netflix film.
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Maja Ma
Maja Ma addressed an important and relevant topic but with a vanilla coating and this made it an easy-breezy family entertainer. Starring Madhuri Dixit, Gajraj Rao, Ritwik Bhowmik, Barkha Singh, Srishti Shrivastava, Rajit Kapur, Sheeba Chadha and Simone Singh, it was a refreshing change from political thrillers, love stories and murder mysteries. Madhuri and the entire starcast performed well.
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Monica, O My Darling
Monica, O My Darling is among the whackiest, craziest and coolest films of the year. The main characters of the film are Monica Machado and Jayant Arkhedkar. On the surface, it was a murder mystery but the twists and turns made it a perfect ode to Hindi and global cinema.
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Qala
Qala, an aesthetic symphony of desirous love, longing and penance, tells the story of a young singer who seeks validation from her mother. Starring Tripti Dimri, Swastika Mukherjee, Babil Khan and an ensemble, the Anvita Dutt directorial was one of the most stunning and layered films of the year.
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Govinda Naam Mera
2022 ended with a crackling entertainer-Govinda Naam Mera. Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani and Bhumi Pednekar were in the lead. It was about Govinda Waghmare, who is fighting many battles. Vicky played the titular role whereas Bhumi was his wife Gauri. Kiara was roped in for the character of Govinda's girlfriend Suku.
