(This article is authored by Alar)

Few southern superheroes fared well at the box office once again this year, with southern films accounting for a big domestic gross. Most of India's top 10 grossing movies were sequels.  Cinemas across the country have reopened after two years of stuck due to covid, allowing moviegoers to see both new releases and those that had been delayed. Because the theatre business is always changing and movies have a rocky history, it's a bit of a remarkable feat that the state of movies in the South is as stable as if we turn the calendar to 2022. Here are 2022's top grossing movies.

KGF Chapter 2:

KGF Chapter 2 has captivated audiences all over the world with its thrilling action sequences and unforgettable lines of dialogue. In KGF Chapter 2, written and directed by Prashanth Neel, we see how Rocky's life changes after he becomes the head of the gold mafia. His supporters hold him in high regard, but the authorities see him as a danger to public safety. In order to keep his word to his mom, Rocky will now have to face the wrath of his enemies. The film made about 1200 times its budget, which was 100 crores. The film's opening day was the second highest of all time in India, and it broke records in Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam. It also earned more than the entire first film's budget in its first day. KGF: Chapter 3 has already been announced by the film's creators. 

RRR:

To this day, RRR remains the only film to consistently break box office records on a global scale. The plot of RRR took place in India's colonial era. The fictional story was based on the lives of real-life freedom fighters Alluri Sitarama Raju and Kommaram Bheem. The film was nominated for several awards but was only chosen for Music (Original Song) for the song "Naatu Naatu." The film was also submitted for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Visual Effects. RRR, the most expensive Indian film ever made at a budget of 550 crore ($72 million), earned 1200 crores at the box office.

Vikram:

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj reenergized Ulaganayagan's career by opening up new possibilities for building a cinematic universe. The film's budget was Rs 120 crore, but it made over Rs 500 crore at the box office. In the meantime, Lokesh shocked moviegoers by making the first Indian film universe. On 3 June 2022, Vikram, accompanied by dubbed versions in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi, was released to theatres under the title Vikram Hitlist. Critics praised the film's music, cinematography, and action sequences, and it was considered a worthy sequel to 1986's The movie was technically a sequel to the 1986 film Vikram and was well-received by audiences and critics alike.

Kantara:

Critics praised the film's music, cinematography, and action sequences, and it was considered a worthy sequel to 1986's Kantara is Rishab Shetty's directorial debut, and it stars him as a Kambala champion at odds with a morally upstanding forest officer. The movie did so well at the box office that it ended up being 2022's second highest-grossing Kannada film. After the film's success in Kannada, it was dubbed the talk of the country and subsequently released in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu, all of which also received positive reviews. Fans were impressed by the film's plot and Shetty's performance, and they were quick to sing its praises for its thrilling conclusion. The film's budget was only 16 crores, but it still made 450 crores at the box office.

Ponniyin Selvan 1:

The critically acclaimed hit Ponniyin Selvan 1, directed by the maverick filmmaker Mani Ratnam and starring Vikram, Karthi, and Jayam Ravi, has taken in an incredible amount of money at the box office around the world. Although it only opened in theatres on September 30 and on OTT on November 4, it has become a massive hit with audiences, becoming Kollywood's second highest-grossing film of all time, behind only Rajinikanth's "2.0," which was released in 2018. The original page-turner, Ponniyin Selvan, was written by Kalki and published in 1955. On April 28, 2023, a sequel to the film will premiere in theatres.

Thiruchitrambalam:

When Kollywood was hit by Pan Indian masala hits for a few months, the release of Dhanush's romantic comedy Thiruchitrambalam was a welcome relief, and the theatres quickly filled up. Dhanush and Nithya Menen star in the Mithran R Jawahar-penned and -directed comedy-drama Thiruchitrambalam. The story revolves around Nithya Menen, a strong female character and Dhanush's best friend, rather than his character, who plays a food delivery boy. Many prominent actors, including Bharathiraja, Prakash Raj, Raashi Khanna, and Priya Bhavani Shankar, have made appearances. After its release on August 18, Thiruchitrambalam made over Rs 100 crore at the box office, passing the threshold in just 15 days and earning over Rs 110 crore.

Love Today:

The film Love Today, directed by Pradeep Ranganathan and released on November 4, quickly gained a devoted following among young moviegoers for its realistic depiction of modern romance in the age of social media. On 4 November 2022, Love Today was released in theatres to rave reviews from both critics and audiences. The movie was well received by critics and audiences alike. Surprisingly (given the low budget of 5 crores), the film made 100 crores at the box office. There was a Telugu dub released after the film was a smash hit in Tamil, and it was well received there as well.