The curtains are almost down on 2022 but the show seems to will itself on. The year was much-awaited as Bollywood was rooting for its big releases after two years of the country being in lockdown mode with the pandemic. But Hindi cinema had the most challenging time impressing audiences.
Many major releases including Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha, Gowtam Tinnanuri’s Jersey, and others pushed their launch dates to escape the lockdown impact. But they ended as a lost cause. While Bollywood failed to break records, South Indian films ruled the box office.
Several regional films saw the audience lapping it up, including diehard Hindi viewers. The year saw new grounds as SS Rajamouli’s pan-India film RRR roared at the box office. Following this came Prasanth Neel’s KGF Chapter 2, Kamal Haasan’s Vikram, and other blockbuster films when Bollywood failed to read the audiences’ pulse despite starring A-listers like Ranveer Singh in Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Shahid Kapoor in Jersey, Vijay Devarakonda in Liger, Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha, Ranbir Kapoor in Shamshera, and Hrithik Roshan along with Saif Ali Khan in Vikram Vedha and how could one not mention the recent bomb, Rohit Shetty’s film Cirkus starring Ranveer Singh.
As we evaluate the passing year, let’s take a look at regional films that did better than Hindi films.
RRR
The SS Rajamouli film starring Ram Charan, NT Rama Rao Jr, Shriya Saran, and Samuthirakani in the lead roles hit the theatres on March 24. It also featured Bollywood’s Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn who played a key role in the promotions making it a blockbuster hit. Alia Bhatt was seen promoting RRR along with SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan, and NTR Jr in all major cities including Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai.
Credit goes to the marketing team who made use of its Hindi cast Bhatt and Devgn and made sure the film reaches a wider audience.
For those unversed, RRR is the most expensive Indian film to date made on a budget of a whopping Rs 550 crore. Reports say RRR made Rs 240 crore worldwide on its first day in theatres breaking the record for the highest opening day collection by an Indian film. The film not only became the highest-grossing film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana but also became the third Indian film and the first Telugu film to be nominated at the Golden Globes in the Best Non-English Language Film category and for the Best Original Song.
Speaking to Screendaily, SS Rajamouli said “I’m trying to find out why Westerners like the film so much. From what I’ve read on social media, it’s a mix of unapologetic superheroism and the unexpected movement from action to romance, comedy, dance and action. But this is how we tell stories in India. There’s something for everyone.”
The film’s success was not only because of its star cast or the director. From the well-written script to catchy music, Rajamouli didn’t go wrong with any element accountable for making a film a hit. And Naatu Naatu song being shortlisted in the Best Original Song Category at the 95th Academy Awards is its testimony.
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KGF: Chapter 2
After RRR, this Kannada film directed and written by Prashanth Neel took over the theatres. Featuring Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Raveena Tandon, Srinidhi Shetty, and Prakash Raj in prominent roles, KGF: Chapter 2 went on floors on April 14 in five languages including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam.
The period action thriller shattered records and became the second highest-grossing film in India, the highest-grossing Indian film in 2022, and the third highest-grossing Indian film worldwide. Reports say KGF: Chapter 2 was produced on a budget of Rs 100 crore which is the most expensive Kannada film in history. The film collected Rs 1,200-1,250 crore globally.
On the failure of Bollywood, KGF 2 star Yash, while speaking to Film Companion, said he doesn’t want Kannada people to put any other industry down as even the Kannada industry faces the same problem.
“I don’t want the people of Karnataka to put any other industry down, because we have faced the same problem when everyone treated us the same way. We have worked hard to get that respect. After that, we cannot start disrespecting anyone. We should respect everybody. Respect Bollywood. Forget this north and south,” Yash said.
Vikram
The Kamal Haasan-Vijay Sethupathi film was released theatrically on June 3 after a long delay due to Covid restrictions. Directed and written by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film was shot on a budget of Rs 120-150 crore and earned Rs 420-Rs 500 crore after its release and became the second highest-grossing Tamil film and fifth highest-grossing Indian film of 2022, and the fourth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time.
Vikram was released in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi and received rave reviews for its cinematography, writing, cast, and action sequences. The film’s trailer was released in May and crossed over 1.2 crore views within 24 hours of its release, reports said.
Sita Ramam
Sita Ramam is a poetic and poignant love story that will give you a sense of the 60s-70s romance caught on film in Indian cinema. Starring Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur, the film became a critical and commercial success and earned more than Rs 91.4 crore at the box office.
Directed by Hanu Raghavapudi, the film faced a ban in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. However, the simple-hopeless romantic film, but not cliche, earned praise.
This Telugu-period romance was also compared with the classic Hindi romantic film Veer-Zara starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Rani Mukherjee.
Kantara
Kantara was the cherry on the cake for Kannada cinema that couldn’t suppress a triumphant smile with the success of KGF: Chapter 2. Rishab Shetty’s direction and writing became the talk of the town when Kantara hit theatres on September 30, unveiling the Bhoota Kola tradition.
The film emerged as a huge commercial success and became the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of all time and the second-highest-grossing Kannada film of 2022. After the success of its Kannada version, the makers announced its dubbed Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam versions as well. The domestic net collections of all the versions crossed Rs 200 crore in 30 days, reports said.
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Kantara also found itself in a plagiarism controversy as Thaikkudam Bridge, a popular music band from Kerala, accused the makers of lifting their tune. Given the social media age, Thaikkudam Bridge slammed Kantara on Instagram levelling serious plagiarism charges for a blatant infringement of copyright laws as the song Varaha Roopam in Kantara had been allegedly copied from their song, Navarasam.
Nonetheless, Rishab Shetty’s directorial impacted a wider audience and the Karnataka State Government announced a monthly allowance for Bhoota Kola performers over 60 years of age.
Ponniyin Selvan: I
Mani Ratnam’s epic historical action drama, Ponniyin Selvan: I starred Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Trisha, Karthi, Jayaram, Sobhita Dhulipala, Prabhu, Vikram Prabhu, R Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, R Parthiban, Rahman, and Lal in lead roles.
The multi-starrer film was made on a budget of Rs 500 crore. Although it received mixed reactions from both critics and the audience, it became the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2022, the fourth-highest-grossing Tamil film of all time, and the 15th-highest-grossing Indian film of all time.
Mani Ratnam also confirmed Ponniyin Selvan: II which will be released theatrically after 6-9 months of PS1.
As is very visible, not even one Bollywood film did the numbers like regional films in 2022. The year, however, proved to be a success for Alia Bhatt as her film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi which released in March was the lone Bollywood hit, she continued with her other successes in RRR, Brahmastra, and Darlings on Netflix.
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Other films that made some noise at the box office were Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, Bhool Bhulaiya 2, and the most recent Drishyam 2.
Now, the concern is whether Bollywood will make a comeback next year or go further down. 2023 has a lot on its plate for Bollywood with big releases like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s Pathaan, Prabhas’s Adipurush, Siddharth Malhotra’s Mission Majnu, Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhooti Main Makkar, Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki, Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa, Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzada, Salman Khan’s Tiger 3, Varun Dhawan’s Bawaal, and others.
CID creator BP Singh dies of heart attack, film industry pays tribute
B.P. Singh, the creator and producer-director of CID, has died after suffering a heart attack. His contribution to Indian television has prompted tributes from colleagues and members of the entertainment industry.
Veteran television producer-director B.P. Singh, best known for creating the popular crime investigation series CID, has died after suffering a heart attack. His death on Tuesday, October 27, prompted tributes from colleagues and members of the entertainment industry, who remembered his contribution to Indian television.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit shared the news of Singh’s death in a social media post, remembering him as an accomplished filmmaker whose work had captivated audiences through shows such as CID and Aahat.
Pandit also recalled his association with Singh during the latter’s tenure as president of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association. Expressing grief over the loss, he described Singh as a close friend and a person whose work would continue to inspire future generations.
The last rites are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 28, according to Pandit’s post.
BP Singh’s contribution to Indian television
Born Brijendra Pal Singh, B.P. Singh established himself as a prominent figure in Indian television through his work as a producer and director. He created CID, one of the country’s longest-running crime investigation shows, which premiered in 1998 and followed a team of Mumbai crime branch officers investigating cases.
The series became widely recognised among television audiences and ran for around two decades. Singh also occasionally appeared on the show as DCP Shamsher Singh Chitrole.
One of the show’s notable milestones came in October 2004, when a special episode was filmed in a single continuous take lasting 111 minutes. The achievement received recognition in the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness World Records.
Singh’s work was not limited to crime dramas. He was also associated with Aahat, a popular horror television series that aired from 1995 to 2015. His other projects included Khaaki, Abhay and SuperCops Vs Super Villains.
Ashoke Pandit remembers the veteran filmmaker
In his tribute, Pandit recalled Singh’s professional achievements and their personal association. He praised the filmmaker’s work on CID and Aahat and expressed condolences to his family and loved ones.
Singh’s death marks the loss of a veteran television professional whose productions helped shape crime and horror programming in India.
His work on CID and Aahat remains a significant part of his legacy in Indian television.
Veteran actor Mushtaq Khan, who appeared in several Hindi films and was particularly remembered for his role in the 2007 comedy Welcome, has died at the age of 56.
Khan was known for playing supporting characters across Hindi cinema and had worked in films spanning several decades. His role as Balu in Welcome remains among his best-known performances.
Mushtaq Khan’s film career
Mushtaq Khan appeared in a wide range of films during his career. His filmography included Aashiqui, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Gopi Kishan, Krantiveer, Raja, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Jodi No. 1 and Hera Pheri.
He also featured in more recent films including Stree 2, Gadar 2, Baby John, Dhoom Dhaam and Jaat. His filmography lists acting work continuing into 2026.
In Welcome, Khan played Balu, a supporting character in the comedy starring Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and other prominent actors.
Khan’s career also included television work, with his credits spanning a wide range of acting roles over the years.
Mushtaq Khan dies at 56
The actor’s death was reported on September 24, 2026. Reports said Khan had been undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with liver cancer and had been hospitalised for around 15 days. Further details surrounding his death were awaited in the initial reports.
Mushtaq Khan was 56. IMDb lists his date of birth as December 31, 1969.
Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have welcomed their second child, a baby girl. The couple announced the arrival of their daughter on Instagram on Saturday through a post featuring a baby’s footprint.
The newborn is the couple’s second daughter. Deepika and Ranveer became parents for the first time in September 2024, when they welcomed their daughter Dua.
The couple has not announced the name of their newborn daughter in the post.
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s last spotting
Just a day before the announcement, Deepika Padukone visited Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple with Ranveer Singh and his parents.
Deepika was seen wearing an orange and purple kurta set, while Ranveer wore a purple kurta with white trousers. The visit came as the couple awaited the arrival of their second child.
Interestingly, the couple had also visited Siddhivinayak Temple in September 2024, shortly before the birth of their first daughter Dua.
Deepika and Ranveer’s family
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh married on November 14, 2018, in Lake Como, Italy. Their wedding featured ceremonies reflecting their Konkani and Sindhi backgrounds.
The couple’s relationship began while working together on Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela in 2013. They later got engaged in 2015 and welcomed their first child, Dua, on September 8, 2024.
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