Ajay Devgn-and-Tabu-starrer Drishyam 2 has raised over Rs 200 crore at the box office, becoming the fourth Hindi film to join the Rs 200-crore club this year. The Abhishek Pathak-directed thriller, which has drawn viewers to theatres since its release on November 18, is now among blockbusters like Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra: Part 1 – Shiva, Anees Bazmee's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files in terms of box office collection.
Besides these four Hindi films, several Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu films have made it to the list of money-minting blockbusters in 2022. Here’s a list of films from south India that have collected over Rs 200 crore at the box office this year.
RRR (Telugu)
S.S. Rajamouli’s epic Telugu drama is creating waves across the world. Ram Charan and Jr. NTR play a British officer and an Indian revolutionary, respectively, in this fantasy drama, set in the 1920s. Mind-boggling visual effects and breathtaking action sequences in RRR have sent the audience into a tizzy. The film has grossed over Rs 1,200 crore worldwide.
KGF: Chapter 2 (Kannada)
One of the most-awaited films of 2022, KGF: Chapter 2 set the cash registers ringing at the cinemas after release. Prashanth Neel’s Kannada action thriller minted more than Rs 1,100 crore worldwide. Kannada star Yash reprised his role as Rocky in this sequel to KGF: Chapter 1 (2018). Raveena Tandon and Sanjay Dutt were fresh additions to the ensemble cast of the film, which followed the rags to riches story of a goldmine owner.
Kantara (Kannada)
Kantara, directed by Rishab Shetty, who also played the lead, has had a dream run at the box office. The supernatural action thriller has collected Rs 350 crore at the global box office. Kantara also stars Kishore, Sapthami Gowda and Achyuth Kumar in key roles. The movie revolves around Shiva (Shetty), a local strongman who must protect his village after a new forest officer threatens to evict them from dwelling.
Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 (Tamil)
Mani Ratnam’s Tamil period drama Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 is an adaptation of the five-part novel series of the same name by late author Kalki Krishnamurthy. Starring Jayam Ravi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Chiyaan Vikram, Karthi and Trisha Krishnan in key roles, PS1 entered the Rs 500-crore club in over a month’s run at the cinemas. The second instalment in the two-part film series will hit the cinemas in the summer of 2023.
Vikram (Tamil)
Headlined by veteran actor Kamal Haasan, Vikram went on to become a money spinner at the box office, thanks to its high-octane action sequences. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s action thriller revolves around a secret agent who gets embroiled in a drug racket during an ongoing murder investigation. Vikram went on to gross Rs 430 crore worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing Tamil movie of all time. The film also features Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi in significant roles.
Beast (Tamil)
Helmed by Nelson Dilipkumar, Beast tells the story of Former RAW agent Veera, who is trapped in a mall by a group of terrorists along with fellow citizens. How Veera deals with this gang and rescues the innocent people from the clutches of terrorists forms the crux of the film. Frontlined by Vijay and Pooja Hegde, the Tamil thriller grossed Rs 236.90 crore at the box office worldwide.
Sarkaru Vaari Paata (Telugu)
Sarkaru Vaari Paata is a Telugu action drama starring Mahesh Babu, Keerthy Suresh and Samuthirakani in key roles. Directed by Parasuram, the film revolves around a financial agent Mahi (Mahesh Babu), who has a loan agency in Miami. A gambling addict tricks him into giving a loan, and uses her clout as the daughter of an MP when Mahi asks for his money back. How Mahi recovers the loan amount is what the rest of the film is about. Sarkaru Vaari Paata grossed Rs 230 crore worldwide.
Vikrant Rona (Kannada)
Written and directed by Anup Bhandari, Vikrant Rona is a Kannada fantasy thriller headlined by Kichcha Sudeep. Sudeep plays Inspector Vikrant, who is investigating a gruesome murder at a remote village in the middle of a tropical rainforest. However, a series of unfortunate deaths lead him to believe there is a supernatural connection behind these incidents. Ram Setu actress Jacqueline Fernandez makes a cameo appearance in this blockbuster that minted Rs 210 crore worldwide.
