Bollywood saw several ups and downs in 2022, as shown in the year-end statement. The Indian film business has had its worst period this year, from Covid-19’s aftereffects to the “Boycott Bollywood” craze. Even when theatres reopened following Covid’s break, a number of movies bombed at the box office because moviegoers shunned Bollywood productions. However, domestic box office business for films from Southern film industry and foreign films was lively.
Even the films of Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, two Bollywood celebrities, were not exempt from the #BoycottBollywood movement. Despite this, there were still certain movies that attracted crowds and brought in over Rs 100 crore in revenue.
Drishyam 2 is a mystery-thriller movie starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu that broke the “Rs 100+ crore club” in its first week of release. On November 18, the film was released, and it is still doing well in theatres today. The movie has so far brought in more than Rs 200 crore at the Indian box office, claims film critic Taran Adarsh.
Sci-fi film “Brahmastra Part One: Shiva” was another blockbuster of this year. Released on September 9, the first installment of the big-budget fantasy adventure series starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Amitabh Bachchan had collected Rs 75 crore on its opening day and only grew from strength to strength.
The film, directed by Ayan Mukerji, crossed the Rs 150 crore-mark in gross box office collections worldwide soon after its release.
Directed by Anees Bazmee, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was a horror comedy that released on May 20. The film starred Kartik Aaryan, Kiara Advani and Tabu in lead roles and was one of the biggest hits of the year 2022. The film collected more than Rs 250+ crores at the box office.
Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film “The Kashmir Files” was based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990. It starred Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi, among others. According to film critic Taran Adarsh, the film entered the ‘100+ crore club’ in its first week and collected over Rs 200 crore at the domestic box office. The movie was produced by Zee Studios and hit the theaters on March 11.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Gangubai Kathiawadi” was another big hit at the box office this year. After a week of its release on February 25, the film collected Rs 68.93 crore. The film is based on a chapter from author S Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. It featured Alia Bhatt as ‘Gangubai’ — a character from Kamathipura of the 1960s. The film’s cast included Ajay Devgn, Vijay Raaz, Seema Pahwa, and Shantanu Maheshwari. The film earned around Rs 125 crores at the box office.
