Bollywood has always provided diverse content to its audience. Every ‘Friday’ the audience’s verdict proves either a boon or bane to the films. In 2022 also, there were many Bollywood Movies released with an engaging storyline, fresh content, and social relevance.
Let us now discuss 10 thought-provoking movies that saw their release at the box office in the year 2022:-
1. BADHAAAI DO
Directed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni, this movie saw its release at the box office on the 11th of February, 2022. This film is a spiritual sequel to the 2018 film Badhai Ho.
The film brings forth issues faced by the LGBTQIA community and gives a strong social message. Although this film deals with a sensitive issue, there is a lot of “desi humor” in the film to keep the viewers intrigued by providing them with a subtle blend of comedy, drama, and a hard-hitting message.
2. GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI
Directed by the reputed Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi saw its release at the box office on the 25th of February, 2022. Starring Alia Bhatt, this movie is based on the book – Mafia Queens of Mumbai. The movie showcases the trials and triumphs that a young girl had to face when she was duped and sold to a brothel. Gangu’s character becomes gradually strong and determined as the movie progresses.
The film is really impactful as it speaks about the struggles faced by sex workers. The film also celebrates the unwavering spirit of a woman.
3. THE KASHMIRI FILES
Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, this film saw its release at the box office on the 11th of March, 2022. This is both a dramatic and a revolutionary film. The film draws its premise from the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley at the height of militancy in the 90s.
The plot of the movie shows Krishna, a young college student, who uncovers uncomfortable and bitter conspiracies behind his parents’ brutal killings in Kashmir. The gut-wrenching premise is brilliantly supported by effective camerawork.
4. RAKSHA BANDHAN
Directed by Aanand L. Rai, this movie saw its release at the box office on the 11th of August, 2022. The film is about Lala Kedarnath Agarwal (played by Akshay Kumar) who happens to be the elder brother of four sisters.
As per the promise that Lala Kedarnath Agarwal had made to his mother on her deathbed, the film shows his tireless efforts to get his four younger sisters married in suitable homes. The film enters into the catastrophic phase when one of his sisters, Gayatri, played by Sadia Khateeb commits suicide as her husband and in-laws were constantly demanding more dowry.
The film condemns the evil practice of the dowry system that still exists in our society. The film received mixed reviews from the audiences.
5. DOBAARAA
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, this film saw its release at the box office on the 19th of August, 2022. This film serves as an official remake of the 2018 Spanish film Mirage.
This film revolves around Antara’s (played by Taapsee Pannu) quest to save a young boy who communicates with her through the television set. The plot of this film is quite a twisted one with many elements of emotions and mystery.
6. GOODBYE
Directed by Vikas Bahl, Goodbye saw its release at the box office on the 7th of October, 2022. The film had veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Neena Gupta in pivotal roles. On the 11th of October 2022, which happens to be the birth date of Amitabh Bachchan, the makers of Goodbye had priced the tickets of Goodbye ₹80 as it was Amitabh Bachchan’s 80th birthday.
Goodbye is a story of a family coping with grief. After Neena Gupta’s character – Gayatri Bhalla’s death, her four children return to their traditional father’s (played by Amitabh Bachchan) home for the funeral. The film presents a poignant take on the generation gap between parents and children. The film takes us on an emotional ride replete with feelings of grief, loss, pain, and self-discovery. The film is quite a roller-coaster as it has a few scenes of dark humor as well as some intense scenes depicting the loss.
7. DOCTOR G
Directed by Anubhuti Kashyap, Doctor G saw its release at the box office on the 14th of October, 2022. We have already seen in the past how Ayushmann Khurrana has experimented with some of the contemporary social issues that exist around us in his films like Vicky Donor, Article 15, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, and many others. Doctor G also highlights various social issues. Although this film serves the viewers with a fine comedy in the first half, the second half gets more serious.
Dr. Uday Gupta, played by Ayushmann Khurrana, lands up in the gynecology department that is heavily populated by females. Initially, he faces criticism and is asked by his teacher to lose his “male touch” and only then he will be able to emerge as a successful gynecologist. Through lessons of life, Dr. Uday Gupta finally loses his “male touch” and becomes a successful doctor in the gynecology department.
This medical campus social-comedy drama strongly challenges the stereotype that exists around male gynecologists. There is a subtle blend of humor in this social drama to make the storyline and plot more engaging and effective.
8. DOUBLE XL
Directed by Satram Ramani, this movie saw its release at the box office on the 4th of November, 2022. Although this movie did not perform well at the box office, we have mentioned it here as it did convey an important social message.
The movie became instrumental in raising the issue of body shaming. Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi play titular roles in the movie. The concept and subject matter of the film are refreshing, but somehow the presentation of the film could have been better. Nevertheless, Bollywood should always come up with movies that speak of body positivity so that societal stereotypes could be modified.
9. FREDDY
Seldom does Bollywood experiment with a psychological thriller. But, Freddy is quite a successful attempt at presenting a psychological thriller backed by an amazing storyline and a stellar cast. Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, this film stars Kartik Aaryan and Alaya F in titular roles. Several critics have also termed Freddy as the best film of Kartik Aaryan’s career.
Freddy follows the tale of an introverted personality who happens to be a dentist (played by Kartik Aaryan) and his ultimate evil transformation when he gets a shocking betrayal by his lover played by Alaya F. The storyline is gripping and the whole revenge saga has a high chance to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats till the very end.
10. SALAAM VENKY
Directed by Revathi, this film was released at the box office on the 9th of December, 2022. This film is based on the book “The Last Hurrah” by Shrikant Murthy. The book is inspired by the true story of Kolavennu Venkatesh, a 24-year-old chess player who suffered from the rare degenerative disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Venkatesh, played by Vishal Jethwa, is diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. His mother Sujata (played by Kajol) wows to add value to his life. The film is a beautiful ode to the bond of a mother-and-son relationship. The storyline is quite a sensitive one but inspires the viewers not to let their spirit and zest for living go stale.
These were some of the movies that proved to be thought-provoking in 2022. With so many trends coming in, we can not wait to see what bollywood has to offer us in 2023!
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