Top 20 All India Films of 2022

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Here are my Top 20 All-India films of 2022. My Top 10 All-India Films of 2022 are below, and films 11-20 follow in my next column.

1. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi, Hindi: Powerful, mainstream feminist film on a sex worker (Alia Bhatt) who fights for the rights of sex workers to work and to accommodation; their children's right to education. Shows democracy where a transgender wins local elections and a sex worker defeats her. Daringly shows a Hindu-Muslim romance, celebrates the qawwali, tributing Muslim socials, in time of extreme right wing violence. Premiered at Berlin Film Festival. On Netflix.

2. Mani Ratnam's PS-1 (Ponniyin Selvan-1), Tamil: Breathtaking adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy's novel of 1955, a fiction based on historical facts in the Chola era 9th-13th century CE. It gets second place because I was unable to follow a lot of the action, intercutting time zones and countries, as a five-part novel is squeezed into two parts. Reminds us how an epic can be magnificent, even without overt dependence on VFX and scale. On Amazon Prime Video.

3. SS Rajamouli's RRR, Telugu: Spectacular film with Ram Charan and Jr NT Rama Rao; remarkable craftsmanship, aiming for all-India and global appeal. Inclusive film celebrating Muslims and tribals in a nationalist story, yet its right wing agenda is unmistakable. Its wonderful Naatu Naatu song is in the Oscar shortlist for Original Song; it earned two Golden Globe Nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Original Song. On Netflix.

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4. Shaunak Sen's All That Breathes, documentary: Magnificent, courageous, deeply political, philosophical, environmental, poetic, funny and moving film that emphasises why compassion is the way forward. On a team of three Muslims in old Delhi, devoted to saving black kites (birds). Is in the Oscar shortlist; won L'Oeil d'Or for Best Documentary at Cannes, won Grand Jury Prize-World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance. On HBO in 2023.

5. Pa Ranjith's Natchathiram Nagargiradhu (A Star Shoots Across, Tamil): Refreshing, romantic musical with Dushara Vijayan and Kalidas Jayaram, that experiment with form - cinema, theatre, art, real life, gaana songs, oppari (mourning songs), puppetry and aerial dance. Self-reflexive, on the challenges of creatively commenting on the horrific caste-based honour killings that continue unabated. On Netflix.

6. Rishab Shetty's Kantara (Mystical Forest), Kannada: Strong mainstream film that, despite its broad strokes, explores the vital jal-jangal-jameen theme, and how our present is deeply informed by the past, faith and tradition. Producer Hombale Films, major success; crossed to all-India and international markets. On Netflix.

7. Pan Nalin's Chhello Show (Last Film Show), Gujarati: This Indo-French coming of age drama is a nostalgic love letter to cinema on 35-mm celluloid film, as a young boy discovers film in a single screen theatre. India's entry for the Oscars, it is in the Oscar shortlist; was at the Tribeca and BFI London Film Festivals. On Netflix.

8. Prasun Chatterjee's Dostojee (Two Friends), Bengali: Stunning and courageous debut, one of the most lyrical and poignant films I have seen in a long time. About the friendship of two charming village imps, Palash (Asik Shaikh) and Shafikul (Arif Shaikh): adults fall prey to religious bigots following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 and the Bombay Bomb Blasts of 1993, but the mishti friendship of the innocent boys survives every challenge - even fate itself. At 20+ film festivals worldwide.

9. Anamika Haksar's Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon (Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis, Hindi, Urdu): Remarkable, original voice; docu-fiction that combines documentary footage, animation, fantasy and folk art to express the dreams and nightmares of Old Delhi's street people. At Sundance and Museum of Modern Art; multiple festivals, awards worldwide. And the delish intoxication of an Indian woman making her debut feature at 59.

10. Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Vazhakku (The Quarrel, Malayalam): Intriguing, thought-provoking film with Tovino Thomas, Kani Kusruti and Sudev Nair, that explores the fundamental irony of how an abusive husband fleeing his wife's divorce petition, spontaneously tries to rescue a stranger, another's wife in a distressing marriage, with fantastic cinematography by Chandru Selvaraj. At IFF Kerala.

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist.
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com