Every year numerous Hindi films are released and are watched all over the world. Just four months into 2022, several movies have already proven to be box office hits. These movies are going to be talked about for the entire year as not only did they win the hearts of the audience but caught the attention – both good and bad of the critics.
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The Kashmir Files:
Released in cinemas on 11 March 2022, The Kashmir Files quickly became a commercial success. It is the highest grossest film of 2022 till now has grossed almost 340 crores worldwide. The movie stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Mithun Chakraborty and the plot revolves around a Kashmiri Hindu student and how he becomes aware of how his family was killed. Although the audience seemed to enjoy the movie and its plot a lot, critics agreed that the movie also promotes Islamophobia which is already prevalent in India. Moreover, hate speech in India also increased after the release of this movie and it is also believed that the movie promotes the nationalist Hindu party propaganda. However, the film was also applauded for its cinematography and acting.
Gangubai Kathiawadi:
Gangubai Kathiawadi is a crime drama film but also a biography of Gangubai. The movie released in February 2022 is both a critical and box office success. Starring Alia Bhat in the lead role, the movie received positive reviews for Alia’s acting, the storyline, and the direction by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Generating 196 crores worldwide, the movie was appreciated for its portrayal of sex workers and how Gangubai who had been tricked into this business managed to come out as a powerful woman who was not ashamed of her past but used it to advocate for women’s rights and the rights of sex workers. Gangubai is a tale of love, deception, and power struggles and was adapted from Hussain Zaidi’s book about the Mafia female leaders of Mumbai.
Badhaai Do:
Starring Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar, Badhaai Do is a sequel of the 2018 movie Badhaai Ho. The film revolves around a lavender marriage and was appreciated for its new and fresh storyline. The Hindi-comedy movie directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni advocates for the rights of the LGBTQ community in India. The movie brought to focus how the law in India does not allow for same-sex marriages and the isolation a gay person feels when they cannot openly love and wed someone but have to conform to the rules of the society and fake being happy with someone they are not attracted to. The film was also given positive reviews for taking a step in starting the conversation about how all kinds of love exist in this world.
Jalsa:
The 2022 thriller-drama movie was released on Amazon Prime on 18th March. The film stars Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah and revolves around a hit-and-run case of an 18-year-old girl. The movie puts forward the question of whether one puts justice or their own needs first when a famous journalist is responsible for the death of a teenager. The film takes the viewers on a rollercoaster journey of multiple instances when the truth could have come forward but then the plot also brings in reasons about how many lives would be saved from ruin if that does not happen. The movie has an open ending leaving the ultimate decision up to the audience and this unique perspective is why Jalsa received positive reviews. The morally complex characters and how it tackles internal conflicts and the challenges of motherhood.
Gehraiyaan:
Another popular Bollywood movie of 2022 was released on Amazon Prime. Gehraiyaan tells the story of romance, drama, betrayal, and of course family drama. Ticking all the boxes, audiences and critics were excited to see this romantic drama movie but were met with disappointment. Starring Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday, and Siddhant Chaturvedi the movie received mixed to negative emotions for its complicated storyline and slow pace. The movie revolves around the lives of two cousins when one decides to have an affair with the other’s fiancé and the consequences they all must face. However, regardless of the criticism about the storyline, Deepika’s acting was appreciated and given credit for carrying the whole movie.
Jhund:
Jhund is a biographical-sports film starring Amitabh Bachchan. The movie is about Visay Barse who is the founder of NGO slum soccer. The movie released in March quickly won the hearts of both critics and audiences. The movie was praised for correctly portraying how much talent is present even in the lower classes but is not often discovered as people overlook them. The movie highlights all the important work Visay Barse did when he trained and helped the teenagers living in slums and helped them reach their potential and stay away from crime through football. With overall favorable reviews, the movie was criticized for its slow pace in the latter half.
These are just some of the many movies that have been released this year. Audiences are also excited to see more movies including Heropanti 2, Ganapath, Brahmastra, and Ek Villian Returns among many that are set to be released later in 2022.
