'Gangubai Kathiawadi' to 'An Action Hero': The best Hindi films of 2022
2022 will always be remembered as a year when Bollywood almost lost its spark and became a target of cancel culture. It was a year when cinema halls slowly picked up the pace and opened up theatres post-pandemic to screen some highly anticipated, big-budget films but all were victims of cancel culture. It also didn't help that these films never matched up to the expectation of the audiences and critics alike with their shoddy writings and bad treatment.
That being said, Bollywood also managed to pick up pieces, especially in the later part of the year, and give us some incredible stories and performances. 2022 saw a mixed bag of stories- some pushing the envelope, some making great remakes and some delivering important messages via humour.
So here it is- in no particular order, the best Hindi films of 2022.
Badhaai Do
Even though Bollywood has made films on the LGBTQ in the recent past, it has often been accused of gross misrepresentation. Which is why Harshavardhan Kulkarni's 'Badhaai Do' seemed like a breathe of fresh air. Not only does the Junglee Pictures' movie sensitise the audience about the problems that LGBTQ community faces in society, but also beautifully talks of acceptance yet never crossing the line and becoming too preachy. In fact, it normalises same -sex relationship by never going overboard with its treatment. Both Bhumi Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao- the leads of the film- deliver credible performance but it is Sheeba Chaddha, who plays Rao's mother, who shines in her role as the vulnerable yet understanding woman.
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Gangubai Kathiawadi
2022 was Alia Bhatt's year. Not only did she deliver some of her career's best performances this year but also got married to actor Ranbir Kapoor and embraced motherhood with the birth of her daughter Raha. The year started with a band for Alia Bhatt. In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Gangubai Kathiawadi,' Alia single handedly took the film forward and delivered a stupendous performance as a madam-cum-mafia leader in the red light district of Mumbai who took on leaders and goons alike to protect the people of the area she ruled and gave a certain amount of dignity to the community of sex workers. Alia was crackling as the witty, snide Gangubai who never let her circumstances pull her down or her spirit. The film had Bhansali's trademark style yet the maverick filmmaker steered clear of romanticising his protagonist and the situation she is in. 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' also seemed refreshing after Bhansali's two back-to-back period love stories.
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Darlings
Alia's second release of the year was also her first film as a producer. In debutant filmmaker Jasmeet Reen's film, Alia played the young, optimistic Badru who is also a victim of domestic violence. A dark comedy, it had top performances from its cast which included Shefali Shah and Vijay Verma. The tale of revenge and of realisation, 'Darlings' was sharp in its commentary and Bhatt scored a few extra points for backing the project as a producer. As an actress, she shined, as the vulnerable Badru who has to come to terms with her abusive husband and take charge of things.
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Monica, O My Darling
Vasan Bala's film was a riot. It was sharp, with a superb screenplay backed with great performances. Featuring a gamut of stars including Rajkummar Rao, Huma Quereshi and Radhika Apte, Bala's film felt straight out of the 1970s masala potboilers with sensibilities of current cinema. The film had multiple pop cultural references and an amazing soundtrack that just propelled the viewing experience to a great level. The neo-noir crime comedy thriller ticked all boxes- it was entertaining, engaging and boasted of great performances.
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Doctor G
Doctor G: Ayushmann Khurrana's other film, director Anubhuti Kashyap's 'Doctor G' was a quintessential Khurrana film where he played the confused male who has been a victim of societal stereotypes all his life. And so when he gets a spot to study gynecology in the a medical school, he is obviously very uncomfortable. Coupled with witty lines, Khurrana's film though delivers a relevant message of gender stereotypes that have been existing in our society for very long. Effective, humours and entertaining- 'Doctor G' was straight up Khurrana's alley and he did not disappoint.
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Qala
Anvita Dutt and Tripti Dimri teamed up once more after the brilliant, haunting 'Bulbbul' for a psychological feminist thriller where Dimri played a sucessful singer of the 1940s who is never good enough for her mother, played by Swastika Mukherjee. How the two navigate their weak bond and foster a new relationship forms the rest of the story. The film's leading ladies delivered great performances in a picturesque film that also saw the debut of Irrfan Khan's son Babil. 'Qala's' music was one of the high points of the film.
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Bhediya
Most were quick to judge Amar Kaushik's 'Bhediya' as yet another comedy when the film's first trailer came out. But Kaushik, who has earlier made films like 'Stree' and 'Bala' delivered a stunning film which talked of climate change, deforestation and stereotyping of the north east. Dhawan played a man who truns werewolf at night and goes on a killing spree. But as the police and his friends investigate, they realise the muders have a pattern. With hilarious one liners and picturesque locations of Arunachal Pradesh, 'Bhediya' was refreshingly smart and well made.
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Jalsa
Regarded as the powerhouse of talent, Vidya Balan delivered yet another memorable role as a Journalist in Jalsa which released on Prime Video on March 18 last year. Vidya skillfully portrayed the role of Maya Menon, a TV journalist in constant pursuit of truth with shades of grey. Taking inspirations from some of the top journalists in the nation, Vidya Balan skilfully aced her character’s professional representation with her compelling performance.
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Special mentions
While Ajay Devgn, Tabu's 'Drishyam 2,' kept the audience on the edge till the last scene, Shahid Kapoor's 'Jersey' made us teary eyed for its emotional story. And among the genre bending stories R Balki's 'Chup: Revenge of the Artist' was perhaps the most experimental and unique story of a serial killer hunting down film critics one by one. The film had Dulquer Salmaan delivering his career best with Sunny Deol stepping out of his usual angry man image.
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