Top 10 South Asian Films of 2022

Here are my Top 10 South Asian Films of 20221 Saim Sadiqrsquos Joyland Urdu Punjabi Pakistan Strong debut feature about how patriarchy stifles many voices in a Pakistani family daringly a married man is in love with a transwoman played by Alina Khan a real life transwoman First Pakistani film on the Oscar shortlist for International Feature Film First Pakistani film at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard and Queer Palm Producers include Apoorva Charan Khoosat Films Initial ban in Pakistan was reversed2 Abinash Bikram Shahrsquos Lori Melancholy of my Motherrsquos Lullabies Nepal Shahrsquos original voice explores lullabies to question a deeply patriarchal society First Nepali film at Cannes in a competitive section it won a Special Mention in the Short Film Competition Producers include Anup Poudel3 Sujit Bidarirsquos Ainaa Jhyal Ko Putali Butterfly on the Windowpane Nepal Moving heartfelt debut feature on how a teenage girl who dreams of becoming a poet is suppressed by family and tradition Nepalrsquos Oscar entry it was at the Busan FF Best Director Dhaka IFF Released in Nepali theatres Produced by Icefall Local Cinema with Arko Films4 Amar Colony by Siddharth Chauhan Hindi IndiaBangladesh Keenly observes the seething sexual tensions hypocrisy and frustrations of life in small town Shimla with surreal sequences It won a Special Jury Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Festival Estonia and Best Debut Director India at the IFF Kerala Superbly shot by Modhura Palit this is a rare nonBengali IndoBangladeshi coproduction5 Whispering Mountains by Jagath Manuwarna Sinhala Sri Lanka Daring political metaphors abound in this debut feature addressing an epidemic of suicides that the government will suppress at any cost But in fact it points to upheavals in Sri Lankarsquos history including the Black July riots of 1983 the 30year Eelam War the 2022 protests At IFF Rotterdam6 Muhammad Abdul Quayumrsquos Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura The Golden Wings of Watercocks Bangladesh Poignant debut feature on rice farmers struggling to get a single crop in Bangladeshrsquos lsquohaorsrsquomdashlowlying plains getting seasonal flash floods in the monsoon It shared the Best Film Award at IFF Kolkata and was in Film Bazaar Recommends 2022 A climate change triptych with Sourav Sarangirsquos Moddhikhane Char and Kamar Ahmad Simonrsquos Shunte ki Pao7 Bilal Lasharirsquos The Legend of Maula Jatt Punjabi Pakistan One of the most expensive Pakistani filmsmdashand a huge box office hitmdashthe film is a spectacular period revenge saga a reboot of Maula Jatt of 1979 The sexy Fawad Khan is here battlescarred stragglyhaired and wielding a gandasa battleaxe against Noori Natt and clan endlessly blood spilling everywhere With the stereotypes and declamatory style of the 1970s Mahira Khan plays his love interest Produced by Ammara Hikmat Ali Murtaza and Bilal LashariAlso Read Top 20 All India Films of 20228 Mejbaur Rahman Sumonrsquos Hawa Bangladesh Gulti hauled up in fishing nets takes revenge on the fishermen who try to violate her Technically accomplished debut feature set in the fishing community obliquely referring to the Manasa folk story Bangladeshrsquos Oscar entry one of Bangladeshrsquos top grossers9 In Her Hands by Tamana Ayazi Marcel Mettelsiefen Docu shot in Afghanistan on Zarifa Ghafari one of the first female mayors of Afghanistan of Maidan Wardak as the Taliban close in Produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton which clouds it somewhat Ghafari is keen to educate women but when threatened with assassination she is forced to flee the nation On Netflix10 Wheels on the Bus by Surya Shahi 16 min short Nepal Bhyal 12 works as a blacksmith As an untouchable he is bullied by many but his friendship with Laba transcends social codes At Berlin Film Festivalrsquos Generation KPlus for children Produced by Prabin Kumar Rawat Sushant Shrestha Rajesh Prasad Khatri and Surya ShahiMore South Asian films to watch out for include Sarmad Sultan Khoosatrsquos Kamli Pakistan IFF Rotterdam 2023 Chandrasekaram Visakesarsquos Munnel Sand Sri Lanka Tamil at IFF Rotterdam 2023 Zarrar Kahnrsquos PakistaniCanadian In Flames produced by Anam Abbas PakistaniCanadian Navid Mahmoudirsquos Akharin Tavalod The Last Birthday Afghanistan set in the final days before the Taliban take over Kabul Tanaz Eshaghianrsquos Iranian American director As Far As They Can Run in which mentally and physically challenged children participate in a race in Pakistan produced by MTV documentaries and prod Christoph Jorg and Rahul Royersquos A Lullaby for Yellow Roses short at flickerfestcom in AustraliaMeenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival National Awardwinning critic curator to festivals worldwide and journalistReach her at meenakshisheddemiddaycom