The year 2022 was groundbreaking for Pakistani cinema in terms of global recognition and acclaim. While some movies flunked at the box office, few stood out and also performed quite well.

Be it Saim Saddiq's Joyland leading the way for Pakistani cinema or The Legend of Maula Jatt making millions at the worldwide box office, here are the Pakistani films that received international recognition in 2022.

Joyland

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The number one spot has to go to Pakistan’s official entry for the upcoming Academy Awards, Joyland. Making the most headlines this year, the movie first got critical acclaim in May after it won the Cannes “Queer Palm” prize for the best feminist-themed movie as well as the Jury Prize in the “Un Certain Regard” competition.

Joyland managed to leave audiences slack-jawed and awestruck at many international platforms. The film has been written and directed by Saim Sadiq and produced by Apoorva Guru Charan, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and Lauren Mann. Film stars Sarwat Gilani, Sania Saeed, Ali Junejo, Alina Khan and Rasti Farooq in pivotal roles.

Kamli

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The critically and commercially acclaimed Pakistani movie Kamli is surely a trailblazer and setting a new precedent for upcoming films. The Sarmad Sultan Khoosat’s film was released in cinemas across Pakistan on June 3. The film received immense appreciation after its release in Pakistan and had a full house throughout its run in cinemas across the country.

The film stars Saba Qamar Zaman, Sania Saeed, Nimra Bucha, Omair Rana and Hamza Khawaja in pivotal roles. It revolves around a woman’s struggle between loyalty to her long-missing husband and her carnal desires. 

The Legend of Maula Jatt

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Bilal Lashari’s The Legend of Maula Jatt hit screens worldwide on October 13 and ever since, the film has been soaring at the box office. The Punjabi-language action-drama starring Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Mahira Khan and more has been doing well at the box office.

According to official numbers, the film crossed the figure of 200 crores ($8.8 million) worldwide, while it crossed 95 crores ($4.2 million) in Pakistan as of December 19. The film’s plot revolves around Maula Jatt, a fierce prizefighter with a troubled past who seeks vengeance against his arch-nemesis, Noori Natt, considered the most feared warrior in Punjab.

Sandstorm

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Pakistan director Seemab Gul’s short film, Sandstorm won big at Oscar-qualifying festivals, HollyShorts and the Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) 2022. Sandstorm emerged as one of the top three winners at HollyShorts 2022, while it won the Best Live Action title at RIIFF 2022.

Written and directed by London-based filmmaker Gul, Sandstorm revolves around a schoolgirl in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, who shares a dance video with a boy she meets online. The story takes a sinister turn when the boy blackmails her with the video.

London Nahi Jaunga

London Nahi Jaunga became the second film of 2022 and the third-highest-grossing Pakistani film of all time. The movie grossed PKR 300 million at the domestic box office. It is a spin-off of the 2017 film Punjab Nahi Jaungi, starring Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat in lead roles.

Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad

Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad is a 2022 action-comedy movie that stars Fahad Mustafa, Javed Sheikh, and Mahira Khan with Nayyar Ejaz and Mehmood Aslam in an ensemble cast. The film collected Rs22.6 crores from the domestic market and an almost similar amount of 21.95 crores PKR from overseas markets.

Ghabrana Nahi Hai

Last but not the least, Saba Qamar and Zahid Ahmed's Ghabrana Nahi Hai have also been declared a hit at the box office as it grossed approx Rs 11 crores in Pakistan and Rs 3 crores internationally, for a total of Rs14 crore worldwide.

Movies lineup for 2022-23 in Pakistan