Though unveiling new surprises in the new year has started, there is a shadow of 2022 inside everything. Film festivals are echoing the buzz of South Indian movies of yesteryear. After the pandemic, a bunch of cinemas was released in the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada film industries. However, not all movies got the same success. Let's take a look at the IMDB’s list of the highest-grossing South Indian movies in 2022.
Top 10 Highest-Grossing South Indian Movies in 2022
KGF Chapter 2 ~ USD 160 million worldwide
This sequel to the 2018 hit film K.G.F: Chapter 1 was directed and written by Prashant Neel. After establishing himself as the king of the Kolar Gold Fields, the killer Rocky must now deal with adversaries and government officials. Moreover, another bigger challenge before him is his own past.
Produced by Hombale Films, the Kannada film starred Yash, Sanjay Dutt, Srinidhi Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Prakash Raj, and Archana Jois. The period action film released on 14 April 2022 grossed USD 124 million domestically. It currently has an IMDb rating of 8.3.
Read more: 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023: Unleash the Craze of Movie Mania
RRR ~ USD 150 million worldwide
Directed by SS Rajamouli, this Telugu film is currently the jewel of the Indian film industry. Because it won the Best Song award at this year's Golden Globes. The DVV Entertainment production was co-written by Rajamouli himself along with V Vijayendra Prasad.
The main story is set in the 1920s, depicting the friendship of two Indian revolutionaries, Raju and Bhima, and their deadly struggle against the British Empire. N T Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan were in the lead roles. And they were accompanied by Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Shriya Sharan, and Samuthirakani.
Released on 25 March 2022, the film grossed USD 117 million in India alone. This blockbuster has a current rating of 7.9 on IMDb.
Read More: Indian Movie RRR’s Success at Golden Globe 2023
Vikram ~ USD 69 million worldwide
It was a Tamil film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, produced and starring Kamal Haasan. The script of the action thriller was written by Rathna Kumar and Lokesh. This second installment of the Lokesh cinematic universe after Kaithi (2019) released on 3 June 2022.
Apart from Kamal, the film also starred Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Kalidas Jayaram. The film grossed over USD 16.9 million from the Indian subcontinent. The film's current IMDb rating stands at 8.4.
Ponniyin Selvan 1 ~ USD 63 million worldwide
This epic adventure Tamil film was directed by Mani Ratnam. The movie's writing team consisted of Elango Kumaravel, B Jayamohan, and Ratnam himself. Its story was adapted from Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel Ponnayan Selvan. Produced by Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, this historical action film released on 30 September 2022.
Read More: 2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide
The film's large ensemble cast includes Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Karthi, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Shovita Dhulipala, Aishwarya Lakshmi, R Sarathkumar, and Prakash Raj. The story of the film revolves around the early life of Arulmoji Varman, the famous emperor Chola prince from 947-1014 AD.
The film became the first Tamil movie to gross more than USD 69 million from all over India. The current IMDb rating of the movie is marked at 7.8.
Kantara ~ USD 56 million worldwide
This action thriller film was produced by Hombale Films of the Kannada cinema industry. The film will show the conflict between a Kambala champion and an upright forest official Murali. The movie was written and directed by Rishabh Shetty who also played the lead role.
Read More: Top 10 Upcoming South Indian Films in January 2023
Released on 30 September 2022, the film crossed USD 24.6 million in net collections domestically on its 30th day. After six weeks, the film started breaking Baahubali 2's record. The film currently has a rating of 8.4 on IMDb.
