Five non-Hindi films that broke barriers of language across India in 2022

2022 has been the year when Indian cinema became a lot more multi-polar than it already was. While Hindi cinema, aka, Bollywood underwent a difficult time this year, a number of films in different languages took filmgoers by surprise and emerged to be major successes at the box office.

From innovative concepts to compelling storylines, numerous attributes have been given to the rise of non-Hindi films at the box office. As we draw the curtain on 2022, let us have a look at five films that bypassed the language barrier and secured a place in people’s hearts across the nation.

This Telugu language film was based on the life of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was martyred during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. It starred ‘Baahubali: The Beginning’ actor Adivi Sesh in the lead role, and moved audiences throughout India, emerging to be one of the highest-grossing films in Telugu this year.

This Rishab Shetty-helmed Kannada language film proved to be a surprise blockbuster all over India, thanks to its production design, cinematography, and the immaculate portrayal of the local ‘Bhoota Kola’ culture of Karnataka.

A success in its home state, the film also struck a chord with the Hindi-speaking audience, becoming a much bigger box office success than anticipated since none of the actors in the film were known in Northern India earlier.

This Tamil language film directed by the legendary Mani Ratnam was a huge hit in home state Tamil Nadu and across the Tamil diaspora across the world. It was based on a fiction novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy, which itself was based on the life of the renowned emperor Rajaraja I of the Chola Empire. The film also fared well in its Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada dubbed versions throughout India.

Starring actor Yash in the lead role, this much-awaited sequel to the 2018 Kannada language film ‘K.G.F: Chapter 1’ made waves across the entire country. The Prashanth Neel-helmed period action film was acclaimed for its cinematography, background music, and its infamous ‘Violence! Violence! Violence!’ dialogue which was on everyone’s lips for a long time.

It was a major success across India, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year by the end of its run.

This high-octane action film helmed by SS Rajamouli was highly anticipated since his last blockbuster hit ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ hit the theatres in 2017.

Its star-studded cast included actors Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Ajay Devgn, and Alia Bhatt. This film was not only a gargantuan success in India but even achieved international success in overseas markets like Japan, where it has become the highest-grossing Indian film.