Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (2024)

2022 was another amazing year for Malayalam cinema. It continued to capture the imagination of the audience with a slew of grounded yet fascinating explorations of the human condition. Some films were high on commercial elements and others were marked by the distinctive artistic vision of their creators. The ratio of good to bad was satisfyingly high.

The larger trend that prevailed in the industry this calendar year reflects in the choices made by Mammootty. Mammootty gave his contemporaries a run for their money by picking fresh and unconventional ideas over formulaic films.

Mammootty seemed to stay abreast with the changing times and is actively reinventing himself to cater to a more informed and evolved audience. It was the year Mammootty struck a rich vein with modern viewers, both at the box office and the streaming front.

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Mammootty, 71, surprised us back-to-back with a variety of performances. In one film, he was a self-destructive bigot, in another, he was a seasoned gangster with undeniable swag, in the next he played a twisted man who challenged our idea of ultimate revenge. If the initial reviews from the International Film Festival of Kerala are anything to go by, he seems to have knocked it out of the park with his performance in director Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam. One can’t help but wish that Mammootty continues to make the right choices.

Malayalam cinema has conquered the battle when it comes to consistently making wonderful films. In the streaming era, Malayalam films especially have found a lot of new takers outside the regular fan base. Filmmakers are now tasked to capitalise on the goodwill that Malayalam cinema has gained in the last few years and expand the industry’s commercial real estate. Next year, we can see how Malayalam filmmakers fare when they compete against their neighbours in the major league called “pan-India”.

Bheeshma Parvam

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (2) Bheeshma Parvam stars Mammootty in the lead role.

The Amal Neerad directorial remains true to its gangster genre. And it takes obvious inspiration from The Godfather. Despite a sense of familiarity, Mammootty’s screen presence makes it worth our while. You can’t help but give in to his gangster charms.

Thallumaala

Director Khalid Rahman’s colourful, white-knuckle ride was unexpectedly entertaining. The film is non-stop fun from beginning to end. And it’s one of the best action movies to have been produced in 2022.

Hridayam

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Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (3) Hridayam was helmed by Vineeth Sreenivasan. (Photo: Screengrab/YouTube)

Written and directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, this coming-of-age romantic drama feels like a riff on Premam. But, Vineeth makes this film his own by infusing it with a generous amount of feel-good energy. Hridayam is like comfort food for our souls.

Jana Gana Mana

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (4) Prithviraj in a still from Jana Gana Mana.

Filmmaker Dijo Jose Antony’s political drama reflects the current state of affairs in the country. This film amplifies the fears and anxiety over the far-reaching and dehumanising effects of divisive politics and unchecked polarisation. It’s fearless, bold and relevant. Jana Gana Mana also has all the qualities to age well.

Nna Thaan Case Kodu

Nna Thaan Case Kodu caught the attention of people after Kunchacko Boban’s free-flowing dance moves to the new rendition of “Devadoothar Paadi” went viral. In the film, Kunchacko gives a memorable performance of a reformed thief who goes to great lengths to get his pound of justice against all odds.

Rorschach

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (5) A still from Rorschach.

Director Nissam Basheer delivered a doozy of a psychological thriller with Rorschach. Starring Mammootty, the film follows a man, who is lost in bottomless vengeance. Death is no longer a satisfying culmination of a revenge crusade. The movie’s protagonist summons the spirit of his dead rival, traps him and tortures him without an end date. It really messes with the minds of the audience.

Bhoothakaalam

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Bhoothakaalam is one of the best, if not the best, horror movies to release in 2022. Director Rahul Sadasivan’s house-bound horror thriller follows the troubled relationship between a mother and son. And Revathi gives one of the best performances of her career. Shane Nigam’s performance is also memorable.

Mahaveeryar

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (6) Nivin Pauly in Mahaveeryar.

Nivin Pauly is going through a bit of a rough patch in his career as none of his films seem to be clicking with the audience. Even though Mahaveeryar is so much fun and daring in its imagination, the movie didn’t find many takers at the box office. But, that doesn’t make it a bad film. The movie examines how our modern legal system fares in the face of absolute power. And it’s fascinating.

Naaradan

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (7) A poster of Naaradan.

Director Aashiq Abu’s unambitious social drama is a biting indictment of exploitative journalism. It really helps the audience to put so many things in perspective.

Puzhu

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (8) Puzhu is streaming on SonyLIV.

Mammootty delivers such a punchy performance in Puzhu. The film makes us witness the self-inflicted suffering of a highly prejudiced man, who destroys himself with his narrow view of the world.

Freedom Fight

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Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (9) Freedom Fight is streaming on SonyLIV.

A significant number of anthologies were made during the pandemic. But, none were as powerful and nearly perfect as Freedom Fight.

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Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (10) A still from Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey.

A hilarious commentary on the systematic oppression of women, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey has solid repeat value.

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list (2024)

FAQs

Best Malayalam movies of 2022: Bheeshma Parvam, Thallumaala, Hridayam in the list? ›

The film broke many box office records for a Malayalam film, crossing the ₹50 crore (US$6.6 million) mark on the 6th day of its release. As of 3 April 2022, Bheeshma Parvam grossed over ₹84.6 crore (US$10 million). The film is currently the tenth highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.

Which movie is the highest collection in Kerala in 2022? ›

Top 10 Malayalam films
  • Bheeshma Parvam. The action thriller Bheeshma Parvam, directed and produced by Amal Neerad, emerged as the highest grossing Malayalam film at the Kerala box office. ...
  • Hridayam. ...
  • Jana Gana Mana. ...
  • Thallumaala. ...
  • Kaduva. ...
  • Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. ...
  • Rorschach. ...
  • CBI 5: The Brain.
May 2, 2023

Which is the No 1 Malayalam movie? ›

Highest-grossing films by year
YearTitleWorldwide gross
2021Kurup₹81 crores
2022Bheeshma Parvam₹86 crores
20232018₹176 crores
2024Manjummel Boys₹242.3 crores
21 more rows

Is Bheeshma Parvam hit or flop? ›

The film broke many box office records for a Malayalam film, crossing the ₹50 crore (US$6.6 million) mark on the 6th day of its release. As of 3 April 2022, Bheeshma Parvam grossed over ₹84.6 crore (US$10 million). The film is currently the tenth highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.

Is Thallumaala hit or flop? ›

Principal photography commenced in October 2021. Thallumaala was released on 12 August 2022 to positive reviews from critics and grossed ₹50 crore worldwide, emerging as the highest grosser in Tovino Thomas' career, until it was surpassed by 2018.

Which Malayalam movie is based on a true story 2022? ›

29. Kotthu. Based on real life events tells the story of North Kerala political party workers and their wars out of bloodshed and rebellion.

Which is the biggest hit in Malayalam movie? ›

Top 10 Highest Grossing Malayalam Films
  • Pulimurugan (2016) - Rs. 151 Cr.
  • Lucifer (2019) - Rs. 126. 25 Cr.
  • Premalu (2024) - Rs. 117 Cr.
  • Neru (2023) - Rs. 84.50 Cr.
  • Bheeshma Parvam (2022) - Rs. 81.25 Cr.
  • RDX (2023) - Rs. 81 Cr.
  • Kannur Squad (2023) - Rs. 80 Cr.
  • Kurup (2021) - Rs. 80 Cr.
Mar 19, 2024

Who is the biggest flop in Malayalam cinema? ›

Worst Malayalam Films
  1. Panchavarnathatha. 20182h 28m. 5.6 (524) Rate. ...
  2. Heylassa. 20092h 12mNot Rated. 2.2 (119) Rate. ...
  3. Love in Singapore. 2009. 2.6 (423) Rate. ...
  4. Ee Pattanathil Bhootham. 20092h 25mNot Rated. 3.4 (509) Rate. ...
  5. Changathipoocha. 2007. ...
  6. Ring Master. 20142h 35m. ...
  7. Aadu. 20152h 22m. ...
  8. Aadu - Oru Bheegara Jeevi Aanu 2. 20172h 40m.

Is Bheeshma Parvam a good movie? ›

Well made movie , Amal neerad have proven once again why he is one of the great minds in Malayalam movie industry. Soundtrack especially the BGMs are top notch. Now performances are really good especially Soubin , Shine. Now one of the biggest pillar of the movie is Mommooty , his screen presence is on point .

Which is the fastest 100 Cr movie in Kerala? ›

Directed by Chidambaram, Manjummel Boys is also said to be the fastest Malayalam film to cross the Rs 100 crore milestone.

Is Bheeshma Parvam a true story? ›

Devadath Shaji opened up by saying that the characters in 'Bheeshma Parvam' are clearly inspired by the mythology 'Mahabharata' and in the opening title credits there is a thank note written for Vedavyasa who wrote the Hindu epic.

Who is the No 1 actor in Kerala 2022? ›

Superstar Mammootty has bagged the Best actor award at the 2022 Kerala State Film Awards for his exceptional performance in the film 'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam'.

Who got the best actor award in 2022 Malayalam? ›

Winners
YearRecipientRole
2018Joju GeorgeJoseph
2020 - 2021Biju MenonSI Ayyappan Nair
2022Kunchacko BobanKozhummal Rajeevan
2023MammoottyJames/Sundaram
46 more rows

Who is the biggest superstar in Malayalam? ›

1. Mohanlal. Mohanlal was born to Viswanathan Nair (father) and Santhakumari (mother) in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, which is located in the southern part of India on the 21st May 1960.

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