‘Hridayam’ to ‘Vikram’, 2022’s best South Indian films you cannot afford to miss

'Hridayam' translates to "heart" in Malayalam. This feel-good romantic drama follows the story of Arun, an engineering student who falls into bad habits. But as he grows old, he reminisces about his wasted youth and college days and turns into a responsible adult. 'Hridayam,' directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, is a simple yet vivid and powerful film that explores life's important relationships, such as friendship, finding a romantic partner, and a person's most precious college memories. Actors like Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Darshana Rajendran, amongst others, create magic on screen. This romantic coming of age film has some soul-stirring melodies and beautiful shots of Kerala. 'Hridayam' can be streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.
 

The second instalment of actor Yash’s 'KGF', directed by Prashanth Neel, went on to become a blockbuster film. with the ensemble cast of Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Sanjay Dutt, and others, the film has turned into the highest-grosser of 2022.

With a budget of Rs 100 crore, 'KGF 2' crossed over $1,169.71 globally. 

Directed by Kamal KM, this Malayalam movie is a brilliantly crafted political hostage drama that stars Dileesh Pothan, Vinayakan, Kunchacko Boban, and Arjun Radhakrishnan, who are the members of Ayyankali Pada. In 1996, a group of four men barged into the Palakkad district collector's office and held him hostage for 9 hours in order to draw attention to tribal land rights in India and revolt against the bill that exploits tribals. 

The film upholds a strong political viewpoint, which is even relevant after 20 years. 'Pada' is intense throughout its runtime and makes a strong statement about the lives of underprivileged tribals, sensational issues and politics around them. The film manages to evoke anger, makes you think, and shakes you to the core. Captivating narration and performances make the film a must-watch. 'Pada' in Malayalam means an army. The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime.

The story of Chandraprakash, played by Tovino Thomas, is about a power-hungry journalist whose obsession and strong desire to be at the top and control everyone's life around him slowly transforms him into an immoral and corrupt individual. Directed by Aashiq Abu, the film is a neo-noir Malayalam language movie that takes a stand against exploitative journalism that is prevalent in India today. Despite its shortcomings, 'Naradan' will make you ponder and reflect upon the ideologies of a professional who is working in an industry that is supposed to show you truth and facts.

It's a contemporary and refreshing take on some hard-hitting facts about journalism. Thomas portrays an arrogant new reporter incredibly well. On the other hand, the newsrooms, studios, and tribulations of the news making business have been depicted authentically. The news channels' cut-throat competition to remain on top and the dangers of a media culture going unchecked has been well executed. ‘Naradan’ can be streamed on Amazon Prime.
 

'Ante Sundaraniki', loosely translated to "The Thing About Sundar is!", is a Telugu language romantic comedy that depicts the struggles of Sundar and Leela, an interfaith couple who want to get married. Sundar, hailing from an orthodox Hindu family, and Leela, a Christian, are childhood friends who part ways and reunite to realise their love for each other. In order to convince their parents, they weave a bunch of lies, which complicates their lives further.

The director of the film, Vivek Athreya, with this crisp and clever writing, humorously depicts the still prevalent religious precedent that couples have to consider before thinking of a life together. The actors, Nani’s natural and Nazriya’s mesmerising performances with relatable one-liners, take the audiences on a fun ride. Along with Telugu, the film has also been released in other languages like Malayalam, Kannada, and Tamil, which are available to stream on Netflix.
 

Directed and written by Rahul Sadasivan, is a spine-chilling, supernatural-horror Malayalam language movie. Shane Nigam and Revathy follow the lives of a middle-aged woman (Revathy) and her unemployed son, who experience strange and unusual occurrences in their home following the death of a family member. Though the film might seem a bit slow, it's nothing like a routine horror film in terms of storytelling.

It keeps you hooked with its edgy performances, especially by Revathy, while long continuous shots are other highlights from the film. ‘Bhoothakaalam’ is spooky and has its scary moments, with the plot slowly unravelling the dark and eerie elements which intensify as it progresses towards the end of the film. The film is a must-watch for those who enjoy the horror genre and is available on SonyLiv.
 

‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’ is a biographical drama film helmed by R. Madhavan that depicts the early life and espionage charges faced by Nambi Narayanan, an ISRO scientist. The film showcases Nambi’s valuable contribution to India’s space programme by developing indigenous liquid fuel technology. With this success, he aims to bring cryogenic missile technology to India with the help of Russia. When the United States finds out about this deal, they set out to hunt Nambi down.

Upon his return to India, he faces trumped-up charges of espionage, is brutalised and tortured by India’s investigative agencies, and loses several decades of the most productive part of his life fighting a legal battle to clear his name. Madhavan’s portrayal of Nambi Narayanan and Simran as his wife Meena Narayanan feels effortless and instils a sense of patriotism without any unnecessary jingoism. This film is Madhavan’s directorial debut, and he does a good job of showcasing rocket science from a layman’s perspective. The film also includes cameos from Nambi Narayanan as himself, actor Shah Rukh Khan in the Hindi dubbed version, and actor Suriya in the Tamil and Telugu versions. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Voot.
 

This Indian Kannada-language adventure-comedy-drama film directed by Kiranraj K, starring Rakshit Shetty, is a rollercoaster ride that evokes a wave of emotions in you. Shetty brilliantly portrays the role of Dharma, a grumpy and mean-spirited loner, who appears to be heading down a path of self-destruction. And then Charlie, a sweet on-the-run labrador dog, enters into his life, and how their initially tense connection develops into a heartwarming lifetime attachment forms the rest of the film’s storyline.

The second half of the film is emotionally charged. ‘777 Charlie’s screenplay engages you as it builds a wholesome companionship between Charlie and Dharma, while Rakshit’s subtle and powerful acting makes it an endearing and entertaining watch. This movie is definitely a must-watch, especially for dog lovers. ‘777 Charlie’ is available on Voot.
 

‘Vikram’ needs no introduction. Helmed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film saw the first collaboration of three superstars of the Southern film industry—Kamal Hassan, Vijay Sethupathi, and Fahadh Fassil. The film follows the story of an undercover black ops officer who pursues a mystery group of masked men who have declared war on the system and are guarding a dangerous drug lord after a string of murders of police officers. The film went on to become a massive blockbuster.

It has some intense and expressive performances by the cast, a tight and well-written script with powerful background music, which makes this action-thriller a superb mass entertainer. ‘Vikram’ has plenty of breathtaking stunts, and director Lokesh has been successful in bringing together a spy mystery story and the action genre. ‘Vikram’ is a feast for Kamal’s fans and can be streamed on Disney+Hotstar.