5 Best Supporting Characters Of 2022 That We Totally Rooted For

Ever found yourself rooting not for the lead hero of the film, but for his counterpart? This might be the classic case of second lead syndrome. It is a term we often hear among film and television show fans. Initially first used in Korean dramas, it is basically wanting the second lead to end up with the main lead rather than her intended partner (aka the first lead). Or, well, wishing that you, as a viewer, end up with someone like the second lead of the film or TV drama that you’re watching. Fans of romantic comedies will instantly recognise this widely popular trope used in love triangles.

While we may not have had many Hindi films focusing on the second lead phenomenon, we did have a bunch of interesting supporting characters this year. They were kind, likeable respectful and at times even relatable. Some were underdogs, some overachievers but almost all of them made a lasting impact on our screens.

Here are some of the best-supporting characters of 2022 that we rooted for.

5 best supporting characters of 2022 

Deeksha Joshi - Jayeshbhai Jordaar

Jayeshbhai Jordaar, set in rural Gujarat, sees Ranveer Singh play a dutiful son to his autocratic father. He loves his wife dearly but is compelled by society's pressure to treat her as a baby-making (a male heir) machine. In a bid to escape to a safe haven, he concocts a plan, ably supported by his 8-year-old daughter. Deeksha Joshi plays Jayesh’s (Singh) feisty sister Preeti, who is addled with a suspicious husband who keeps constant tabs on her mobile use. However, she supports her brother's endeavour for freedom and adulterates her family's drinks with sleeping pills when they arrive to nab fugitive Jayesh. In an absolutely applaud-worthy moment, one can see her frustration and exhaustion when she starts hitting and punching her unconscious husband.

Sheeba Chadha - Badhaai Do

Sheeba Chadha in a still from Badhaai Do

Sheeba Chadha has uniquely carved out a space for herself in recent years. Her choice of roles adds a fresh perspective on the veteran actors, even putting a spotlight on the relevance of supporting actors in a film.

In Badhaai Do, Chadha’s performance is equally warm and welcoming as it is hilarious. In a bid to have a grandson, she also shares tips and tricks on how to be the perfect “wife” with her daughter-in-law Sumi (played by Bhumi Pednekar), while being in dark about her son’s homosexuality. While she may be a bizarre on-screen parent, she is also someone who secretly sympathises with her son for he is shackled by Indian society’s conventions. As an uncomfortable anomaly, she feels compelled to act in a certain manner and assert matriarchal dominance over her son. However, as seen later in the film, fails miserably to do so once her son Shardul (Rajkumaar Rao) comes out of his closet.

Suggested Reading: Badhaai Do To Maja Ma: The Much-Needed Guarded Presence Of Sheeba Chadha

Shefali Shah - Darlings

Shefali Shah and Alia Bhatt play mother and daughter duo in Darling—and are totally fantastic together. Badru (Bhatt) is married to Hamza (Varma), a ticket collector with the local railways. He returns home each evening, frustrated and irritable, and drinks a lot. He finds an excuse to beat up Badru. In the morning he apologises, manipulatively blames the alcohol, and she continues to live life as it is. However, it is her mother Shamshu (Shah) who is wiser, more experienced and knows what men like Hamza are capable of. Her fierceness comes through her own experiences of abuse – especially in a scene in which she reveals her own past. Time and again she reiterates that some men never change and helps Badru escape the marriage.

Radhika Apte - Monica O My Darling

Radhika Apte in a still from the film

Vasan Bala's Monica O My Darling is a delicious whodunit and easily one of the best films of 2022. The film follows the life of Jayant Arkhedkar (Rajkummar Rao), a robotics engineer, whose passionate affair takes an unexpected turn, and he becomes involved in a homicidal plan. Radhika Apte appears about halfway through the film as a chatty police officer investigating the crime. Though she’s immediately suspicious of Jayant, she rides the game and also has a plan of her own. “Never ever report a backstory so perfectly. The more perfect the story, the more doubt,” she tells him when he launches into a story about his fear of snakes.

Neetu Kapoor - JugJugg Jeeyo

Set in Patiala, JugJugg Jeeyo revolves around two couples, Kuldeep-Naina (Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani) and Kuku’s parents Bhim and Geeta, played by Anil Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor. Produced by Dharma Productions, the film is not about love but about marriages going wrong, infidelity, and divorce.

Childhood sweethearts Kukoo (Varun Dhawan) and Naina (Kiara Advani) are headed for a divorce five years into their marriage, however, they come to a shock after discovering Kukoo’s father Bheem (Anil Kapoor) plan to end his 35-year-long marriage.

Geeta (Neetu Kapoor) plays Dhawan's mother and is yet again portrayed to be the sacrificial woman. She is calm and composed even during many confrontational scenes as she deals with a cheating husband and an indecisive son. However, when an actual confrontation happens with her husband's mistress, Dhawan is shocked to see his mother hold the agency.