The pandemic put a bit of a damper on Bollywood releases. Just like Hollywood, the Hindi Film Industry took a hit with most movies going to streaming platforms. With things finally returning to normal, the big Bollywood theatrical is back. And this month will see some huge releases. Everything from genre films about ghosts and werewolves, to coming-of-age movies with characters of all ages. November is jam-packed! So read on for the most anticipated Bollywood movies of November 2022.
Phone Bhoot: A Ghostbusters-ish Horror Comedy
Pairing up one of Bollywood greatest talents with two new up-and-coming actors is a tried and tested formula. But put them all in a new horror comedy that sort of riffs on Ghostbusters? Genius! The trailer for Phone Bhoot looks spectacular as a weird accident allows two friends (Ishaan Khattar & Sidhant Chaturvedi) to—see dead people. Oh, these references keep coming. Not knowing what to do, a ravishing lady ghost (Katrina Kaif) appears with an idea: start a ghost-busting business.
What follows looks like a hilarious comedy where two hapless buddies team up with a ghost to fight other ghosts. But the larger story sees a villain that they also need to go up against. Kaif headlining this movie already makes it a must-watch. But combine two of Bollywood’s hottest new stars doing some self-deprecating comedy, Jackie Shroff as a scene-chewing villain, and it’s definitely going to be a fun watch.
Phone Booth releases on November 4.
Double XL: A Coming Of Age Story About Positive Body Image
Body image issues are a real thing. Probably more so in Bollywood where we’ve heard many stories about actresses being forced to ‘slim down’ or lose weight. Sometimes, even contractually obligated to do so. So when a movie tackles this issue, with two charming actresses in the lead roles, we need to stand up and pay attention. Double XL is a coming-of-age comedy with Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi as two women who hit hurdles in their lives due to how society thinks they should look. Taking control of the narrative, the two women embark on a journey to smash stereotypes and promote positive body image. It’s also pretty cool that both Sinha and Qureshi themselves had dealt with this problem in the industry.
Double XL releases November 4.
Mili: A New Bollywood Movie Releasing November 2022
Superstar Jhanvi Kapoor continues her string of smaller movies with her in the lead role. Mili looks like a harrowing story of isolation and survival. When a young woman gets trapped in an industrial freezer at her part-time job, to everyone else, she is missing. While she tries to survive in the freezing cold, her friends and family are going nuts to try to find her, turning over every rock. Mili looks like a small movie, but one that definitely causes anxiety and claustrophobia for anyone who struggles with those issues. The performances look stellar. Although, as with many Bollywood trailers, I wonder how much of the movie was spoiled in the trailer.
Mili releases on November 4.
Uunchai: Another Coming Of Age Story, But About Seniors
Uunchai is all about a group of 4 senior friends who are full of life. When one of them passes away, the other 3 decide to honour his memory by fulfilling his dream of climbing Mount Everest. With no experience and due to their age, the odds seem against them. I’m a sucker for inspirational underdog movies of physical feats. So count me in for this one. The movie features a massive cast of legendary Bollywood icons like Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher and Boman Irani. Along with an appearance in a supporting role by Parineeti Chopra. Hollywood audiences will know her as Priyanka Chopra-Jonas’ cousin. The movie is also the directorial return of Sooraj Bharjatya, a renowned maker of classic Bollywood family-friendly movies.
Uunchai releases on November 11.
Drishyam 2 Is A Bollywood Movie of November 2022 That Is A Sequel
Drishyam 2 is a direct sequel to the hugely successful Drishyam from 2015. That movie itself was a remake of other South Indian films of the same name. The movie was a tense thriller about how an accident completely turned a small-town family’s lives, upside down.
The trailer for Drishyam 2 seems to directly continue the story from the first movie. But, that’s the weird part. It almost seems like the exact same story, building on the inciting incident from the first film. Which, I thought he first film resolved. So I’m interested to see what they do differently, if anything. The trailer seems to focus on the same plot points but just in different ways with newer characters, but still the same family. I guess we’ll soon see.
Drishyam.2 releases on November 18.
Monica O My Darling Looks Like An Interesting Thriller?
The one Bollywood movie of November 2022 that we know very little about is Monica O My Darling. The teaser showcases shades of a spy-thriller, but also kind of a neo-noir-looking crime movie. The vagueness seems to be intentional, as we’re less than a month from its release, and still without an official story trailer.
But the selling point of this new Netflix original is the star cast. Netflix favourite Radhika Apte (Vikram Vedha) is in this, sporting a tapori-style dialect which is different from what we usually see her in. Huma Qureshi’s second release of the month has her trying to poison or attack the lead hero. Speaking of, the always talented Raj Kummar Rao is the man everyone seems to be trying to— talk to? Or kill? I guess we’ll find out when the movie releases on Netflix.
Monica O My Darling releases November 11.
Bhediya Is A Werewolf Story That Seems To Homage to The Classics
One of the most interesting Bollywood movies of November 2022 is Bhediya. Featuring major Bollywood star Varun Dhawan (Kalank), the movie looks like your typical werewolf movie. The only difference being, this one is a horror-comedy too. Which is a nice surprise. The trailer throws in that plot twist pretty well. While some scenes look like they’re homaging other iconic movies like An American Werewolf In Paris, overall, Bhediya looks like a lot of fun. And not just for the gratuitous shots of a shirtless Varun Dhawan. Which almost always guarantees box office success for his movies.
Bhediya releases on November 25.
That’s all the major Bollywood movies in November 2022 that I’m most looking forward to. Do let me know in the comments which movie you’re excited for. Or if I missed any that you’ve been waiting for.
