Top 10 South Asian Films of 2022

With the stereotypes and declamatory style of the 1970s. Mahira Khan plays his love interest. Produced by Ammara Hikmat, Ali Murtaza and Bilal Lashari

Here are my Top 10 South Asian Films of 2022:

1. Saim Sadiq’s Joyland, Urdu, Punjabi, Pakistan: Strong debut feature about how patriarchy stifles many voices in a Pakistani family: daringly, a married man is in love with a transwoman, played by Alina Khan, a real life transwoman. First Pakistani film on the Oscar shortlist for International Feature Film. First Pakistani film at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard, and Queer Palm. Producers include Apoorva Charan, Khoosat Films. Initial ban in Pakistan was reversed.

2. Abinash Bikram Shah’s Lori (Melancholy of my Mother’s Lullabies), Nepal: Shah’s original voice explores lullabies to question a deeply patriarchal society. First Nepali film at Cannes in a competitive section, it won a Special Mention in the Short Film Competition. Producers include Anup Poudel.

3. Sujit Bidari’s Ainaa Jhyal Ko Putali (Butterfly on the Windowpane), Nepal: Moving, heartfelt debut feature on how a teenage girl who dreams of becoming a poet, is suppressed by family and tradition. Nepal’s Oscar entry, it was at the Busan FF. Best Director Dhaka IFF. Released in Nepali theatres. Produced by Icefall, Local Cinema with Arko Films. 

4. Amar Colony by Siddharth Chauhan, Hindi, India-Bangladesh: Keenly observes the seething sexual tensions, hypocrisy and frustrations of life in small town Shimla, with surreal sequences. It won a Special Jury Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Festival, Estonia, and Best Debut Director (India) at the IFF Kerala. Superbly shot by Modhura Palit, this is a rare non-Bengali Indo-Bangladeshi co-production.

5. Whispering Mountains by Jagath Manuwarna, Sinhala, Sri Lanka: Daring political metaphors abound in this debut feature addressing an epidemic of suicides that the government will suppress at any cost. But, in fact, it points to upheavals in Sri Lanka’s history, including the Black July riots of 1983, the 30-year Eelam War, the 2022 protests. At IFF Rotterdam. 

6. Muhammad Abdul Quayum’s Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura (The Golden Wings of Watercocks), Bangladesh: Poignant debut feature on rice farmers struggling to get a single crop in Bangladesh’s ‘haors’—low-lying plains getting seasonal flash floods in the monsoon. It shared the Best Film Award at IFF Kolkata and was in Film Bazaar Recommends 2022. A climate change triptych with Sourav Sarangi’s Moddhikhane Char and Kamar Ahmad Simon’s Shunte ki Pao!

7. Bilal Lashari’s The Legend of Maula Jatt, Punjabi, Pakistan: One of the most expensive Pakistani films—and a huge box office hit—the film is a spectacular, period revenge saga, a reboot of Maula Jatt of 1979. The sexy Fawad Khan is here, battle-scarred, straggly-haired and wielding a gandasa (battleaxe) against Noori Natt and clan, endlessly blood spilling everywhere. With the stereotypes and declamatory style of the 1970s. Mahira Khan plays his love interest. Produced by Ammara Hikmat, Ali Murtaza and Bilal Lashari.

Also Read: Top 20 All India Films of 2022

8. Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Hawa, Bangladesh: Gulti, hauled up in fishing nets, takes revenge on the fishermen who try to violate her. Technically accomplished debut feature, set in the fishing community, obliquely referring to the Manasa folk story. Bangladesh’s Oscar entry; one of Bangladesh’s top grossers.

9. In Her Hands by Tamana Ayazi, Marcel Mettelsiefen:  Docu shot in Afghanistan, on Zarifa Ghafari, one of the first female mayors of Afghanistan, of Maidan Wardak, as the Taliban close in. Produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, which clouds it somewhat. Ghafari is keen to educate women; but when threatened with assassination, she is forced to flee the nation. On Netflix.

10. Wheels on the Bus by Surya Shahi, 16 min short, Nepal: Bhyal, 12, works as a blacksmith. As an untouchable, he is bullied by many, but his friendship with Laba transcends social codes. At Berlin Film Festival’s Generation KPlus for children. Produced by Prabin Kumar Rawat, Sushant Shrestha, Rajesh Prasad Khatri and Surya Shahi.

More South Asian films to watch out for: include Sarmad Sultan Khoosat’s Kamli (Pakistan, IFF Rotterdam 2023); Chandrasekaram Visakesa’s Munnel / Sand (Sri Lanka, Tamil) at IFF Rotterdam 2023, Zarrar Kahn’s (Pakistani/Canadian) In Flames, produced by Anam Abbas (Pakistani/Canadian);  Navid Mahmoudi’s Akharin Tavalod (The Last Birthday, Afghanistan), set in the final days before the Taliban take over Kabul; Tanaz Eshaghian’s (Iranian American director) As Far As They Can Run, in which mentally and physically challenged children participate in a race in Pakistan, produced  by MTV documentaries, and  prod Christoph Jorg; and Rahul Roye’s A Lullaby for Yellow Roses (short, at flickerfest.com in Australia).

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

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