Hanu-Man (also marketed as HanuMan) is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language superhero film written and directed by Prasanth Varma and produced by K. Niranjan Reddy under Primeshow Entertainment. It stars Teja Sajja in the title role, alongside Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Samuthirakani, Vinay Rai, Vennela Kishore and Raj Deepak Shetty. Set in the fictional village of Anjanadri, Hanu-Man is the first installment of the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe. The narrative follows Hanumanthu, who gains the powers of Hanuman to protect the people of Anjanadri, ultimately facing off against Michael after encountering a mysterious gem.
Officially announced in May 2021, principal photography began on 25 June 2021 in Hyderabad and concluded by mid-April 2023. The film features music composed by GowraHari and Anudeep Dev, digital marketing by Manoj Valluri under Haashtag Media, cinematography by Dasaradhi Sivendra, visual effects supervision by Venkat Kumar Jetty, and editing by Sai Babu Talari.
Released on 12 January 2024, during Sankranti, Hanu-Man received positive reviews for Prasanth Varma's direction, screenplay, the cast's performances, the portrayal of Lord Hanuman, background score, visual effects, production design, and action sequences. The film broke several box-office records, grossing ₹300–350 crore worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing Telugu film of 2024, tenth highest-grossing Indian film of the 2024, one of the highest grossing Indian superhero films and the eleventh highest-grossing Telugu film of all time. A sequel, Jai Hanuman, is currently in development. At the 71st National Film Awards, the film won 3 awards: Best Film in AVGC, Best VFX Supervisor, and Best Stunt Choreography.
Plot
In 1998, in Saurashtra, Akhanda Bharath, a young Michael becomes obsessed with superheroes. After an accident caused by his attempts to fly, his parents explain that superheroes are not real, prompting him to kill them in a fire. In the present, Michael operates in Mumbai as the self-styled superhero Mega Man, using inventions created by his friend Siri, but longs for genuine superhuman abilities.
The story centres on a divine gem created from a drop of blood shed by Hanuman after he was struck by Indra, which fell into the sea off South India. The gem grants Hanuman's powers. Nearby lies Anjanadri, a dystopian village ruled by the tyrannical polygar Gajapathi. Hanumanthu, a petty thief, loves Meenakshi, granddaughter of the village school headmaster. Meenakshi opposes Gajapathi's oppression and urges the villagers to resist.
To eliminate her, Gajapathi stages a fake bandit attack. Hanumanthu rescues Meenakshi but is badly injured and thrown into the sea, where he unknowingly acquires the divine gem. He is later found unconscious by his sister Anjamma and friend Kasi. His wounds heal instantly, and he discovers that sunlight activates the gem, granting him immense strength that fades without it.
As Hanumanthu unsuccessfully tries to convince Meenakshi that he saved her, Kasi realises the source of his abilities. When Gajapathi challenges Meenakshi to a wrestling match, Hanumanthu defeats him using the gem. Declared the new Polygar, he instead abolishes the office and proposes democracy, earning Meenakshi's admiration.
Michael and Siri arrive in Anjanadri under the guise of CSR, with Michael secretly seeking the gem. Although he attempts to expose Hanumanthu's powers during a festival, Hanumanthu conceals them. Becoming more mature after recognising Anjamma's sacrifices, he arranges her wedding.
Siri later kidnaps Hanumanthu on Michael's orders to learn the source of his powers. Hanumanthu escapes with the gem, rescues Meenakshi, reveals himself as her childhood protector, and they confess their love. He also warns Gajapathi to respect Meenakshi and govern responsibly during the forthcoming elections.
Investigating Michael, Hanumanthu discovers his plan to destroy Anjanadri and seize the gem. Michael confesses that he murdered his parents and attempts to kill Siri by setting their tent on fire. An elderly sage, disguised as Hanumanthu, defeats Michael's men and returns the gem.
At Anjamma's wedding, Michael falsely accuses Hanumanthu of stealing his ancestral gem. Hanumanthu tricks him with a fake gem, exposing his deception. During the ensuing battle, Anjamma is killed, leaving Hanumanthu grief-stricken. Believing the gem has failed him, he throws it away.
Michael then releases toxic smoke that freezes the villagers. As Hanumanthu loses hope, the elderly sage reveals himself as King Vibhishana from the Ramayana and inspires him to fight. With Siri's assistance and Gajapathi's help, Hanumanthu destroys the drones spreading the smoke by keeping the gem with Koti, a monkey. Michael nevertheless captures Hanumanthu, steals the gem and attempts to escape by helicopter. Hanumanthu breaks free, destroys the helicopter, and kills Michael. The gem is destroyed, and Hanuman's power is absorbed into Hanumanthu.
The gem's destruction awakens Asuras (demons) and Lord Hanuman, who emerges from the Himalayas and appears before Hanumanthu, heralding the beginning of a greater battle.
Development
The producer Niranjan Reddy approached director Prasanth Varma to direct a film for his banner after watching Zombie Reddy (2021). After successfully directing Zombie Reddy, Varma announced his fourth film on 29 May 2021, coinciding with his birthday. It was announced that the film will be the first superhero film in Telugu cinema. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle he said, "the film is inspired by the Hindu God Hanuman", adding "As for the title of the film, Prasanth says he chose it because it was a dedication to many who, when they think of any superpower or a superhero in Hinduism, we remember Hanuman. In the film, the name of the protagonist is Hanu-Man", regarding the title of the film.
The film was funded by the American NRI film distributor, K. Niranjan Reddy, under Primeshow Entertainment. It was made on a shoe-string budget of ₹20 crores. During the teaser launch event held in Hyderabad in November 2022, Varma revealed that the production budget increased six times from the initial valuation. Hanu-Man is the first installment of the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe (PVCU).
Pre-production
The story of Hanu-Man came from Varma and was then developed by his team at Scriptsville, a writing team he co-founded with his sister, Sneha Sameera. In an interview, Varma said that his education in a gurukul helped him with the film's research. Varma also sought S. S. Rajamouli's advice while making the film.
Anudeep Dev, GowraHari, and Krishna Saurabh were hired to compose the music for the film. GowraHari composed the background score for the film. Sai Babu Tallari was hired for the editing, reuniting with Varma after Zombie Reddy. The other technicians includes cinematographer Dasaradhi Sivendra, production designer Nagendra Tangala, action choreographers Nandu and Prudhvi, costume designer Lanka Santhoshi.
Prior to starting the first shooting schedule, the team had constructed a studio in a leased land at Vattinagulapally located in Telangana, for filming green screen shots. Prior to the start of film production, Teja Sajja had attended a special workshop, in order to train physically and intensively for his role in the film.[citation needed]
Casting
Teja Sajja played the titular character Hanumanthu, a superhero, and sported long hair and bearded look. His look was finalised after trying out 25 different looks.[citation needed] This marked Tejja's third collaboration with Varma after their Zombie Reddy and Adbhutham (2021). About casting Teja Sajja as lead actor, Varma said "when I was casting for this film, I wanted to cast an actor who could give his 100 per cent and be fully committed to this film. He had to maintain a particular look and also suit the part. So, I think Teja fits the bill. He is the most lovable underdog and an amazing actor who can give me enough time to make this film". He had to learn scuba diving for the film. Amritha Aiyer was cast as the film's lead actress, and her character name Meenakshi was revealed in December 2021. Varma said he selected Amritha Aiyer after watching "Neeli Neeli Aakasam" song. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar was roped in a pivotal role, and her inclusion was confirmed on 4 March 2022, on the eve of her birthday. Tamil actor Vinay Rai was announced as the film's antagonist in June 2022. Varma revealed that Rai's suit was difficult to wear and lost two kilograms while shooting.[citation needed]
The film also features Vennela Kishore, Satya, Getup Srinu, Raj Deepak Shetty, Koushik Mahata and Bhanu Prakash in pivotal roles. Rishab Shetty was approached to play the role of Vibhishana, but declined the role, citing commitments to Kantara, thus went to Samuthirakani. Ravi Teja gave his voice to the monkey character Koti. The name of the fictional village was announced as Anjanadri.
Filming
The film was officially launched on 25 June 2021 in Hyderabad, with a pooja ceremony and muhurtam shot done. Principal photography of the film was also done on the same day. As of August 2021, 40% of filming was completed. Filming of a few action sequences and songs took place at Maredumilli and Paderu in Andhra Pradesh in September 2021. Around 60% of filming was completed by December 2021.[citation needed]
The team constructed a temporary studio called Hanuman Studio at Vattinagulapally, where most of the green screen shots portions were filmed. For wide angle visuals, the team moved to Paderu and Maredumilli in Andhra Pradesh. The underwater sequence was filmed in December 2022 in Mumbai. Teja Sajja got trained under a special trainer for fifteen days in Hyderabad for this sequence.
The climax sequences were shot over 40 days, and team built the set at Ramoji Film City. The aerial climax scene was filmed for five days. Principal photography wrapped by 17 April 2023, with filming having lasted 130 working days.
Post-production
The dubbing process began during April 2022, with Teja Sajja dubbing his portions. HaloHues Studios, Hyderabad was the film's principal visual effects studio. Extensive work on the visual effects took place for more than a year during the post-production process. VFX of the film was done by Venkat Kumar Jetty The picturization of "Anjandri Theme Song" was storyboarded in 2D, but inspired by the visual effects of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, team decided to give it a 3D feel and roped in Animation studios Flicksville, Visikefi as well as freelance technicians across the country worked for the film. Anjanadri establishment shot, a technically challenging scene lasting over two minutes. To achieve this, extensive research and the utilisation of Hollywood software, coupled with an intelligent pipeline, were employed.
Paderu Girula has been linked to the graphics in this film. More than three thousand photos and videos were taken and they were used in the film to suit the graphics. Varma had the plan to sign Kannada actor Yash to play Hanuman and include a live-action portrayal. It took nearly seven months for the visual effects shots of Hanuman "photorealistic Hanuman in the all-important climax song is the film's USP". The final edit had around 1600 visual effects shots, which constituted approximately 30% of the film. In an interview, Prasanth Varma discussed the utilisation of pre-visualization, matte painting, 3D, and AI art in the film. ChatGPT and Midjourney were used to design film posters.
The special effects was provided by Raghunath. The color grading for the film bagan on 5 October, which was done by Shiva Kumar BVR. The finishing work for the film was performed at ANR Sound & Vision at Annapurna Studios, by colourist Ashwath. The sound mixing was begun on 23 November 2023. The Dolby Atmos mixing of the film was done by Eskala Radha Krishna.
The final copy of the film was ready by December 2023, and was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) that month. On 29 December 2023, the film received a U/A certificate from the Censor Board, with a finalised runtime of 158 minutes.
Music
The music of the film is composed by GowraHari, Anudeep Dev and Krishna Saurabh. The audio rights were acquired by Tips Industries.
The soundtrack consists of seven original songs, namely, "Hanuman Chalisa",[citation needed] "SuperHero HanuMan", "Avakaya Anjaneya", "Sri Ramadootha Stotram",[citation needed] "Anjanadri Theme Song", Meenakshi Intro Song titled "Poolamme Pilla", and "Raghunandana". Lyrics are written by Krishna Kanth, Simhachalam Mannela, Hanumath Ramadootha Strotam, Siva Shakthi Datta, Kasarla Shyam, and Tripuraneni Kalyanachakravarthy.
Marketing
On 21 November 2022, the official teaser of the film was released. Teaser launch event was held at AMB Cinemas., Hyderabad The team introduced NFT collectibles on 13 December 2022, becoming the first Telugu film to do so. On 28 November 2023, Avakaya Anjaneya song launch event was held at Hyderabad. Teja Sajja promoted the film at SREEVISION'23 at Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology that held on 12 December 2023.
The official trailer was released on 18 December 2023 in five languages. Trailer launch event was held at AMB Cinemas. Subsequently, the trailer was attached to the prints of Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire for theatrical screenings. On 24 December, Teja Sajja promoted the film at the Star Sports Telugu Pro Kabaddi League. Later, on 31 December, a video was released titled "SESH X HANUMAN" on YouTube, in which Adivi Sesh interviewed Prasanth Varma and Teja Sajja.
Soon after, the team has planned a promotional tour, titled "The Superhero Tour," across six cities over six days, starting from 4 January 2024 to 9 January 2024.[citation needed] On the first day of the tour, the team headed to Kochi for a press meeting at Crowne Plaza. On the second day, the team moved to Chennai to attend interviews and press meetings at the Green Park Hotel. Later, interviews and press meet were held at The Shelton Grand Hotel, Bengaluru. On the fourth day, Mega Pre-Release Utsav was held at N Convention in Hyderabad. Chiranjeevi was the chief guest of the event, which was hosted by Suma Kanakala. On the fifth day, an event was held by the film's Hindi distributor, AA Films, at the PVR Citi Mall in Mumbai, where the cast and crew interacted with the media and fans. Rana Daggubati was the chief guest at the event. On sixth day, the team visited the Hanuman Mandir in New Delhi and interacted with the local media to promote their film in the region.
Theatrical
The film was theatrically released on 12 January 2024 in Telugu, along with the dubbed versions of Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi. In an interview Varma revealed that distributors in Japan and Korea approached the makers after watching the teaser. In late January 2024, it was reported that 3D version of the film is scheduled to release in summer 2024,[citation needed] with additional scenes. As of May 2026, the 3D version of the film was announced to release on 25 June 2026 globally. It also screened at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on August 3, 2024.
Critical response
Hanu-Man received positive reviews from critics who praised Prashanth Varma's direction, screenwriting, cast performances, visualization of Hanuman, background score, VFX, production design, and action sequences. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.
Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "With solid storytelling, impressive visuals, and strong performances, the film successfully merges elements of mythology with contemporary action, offering a unique viewing experience in Indian cinema." Bhavana Sharma of Deccan Chronicle gave 3.5/5 and stated "HanuMan" stands as a solid entertainer with a rich tapestry of drama, emotions, and mythology skillfully woven together." Sana Farzeen of India Today gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "The music is quite pleasant and the VFX department has done a fair job. Also, the comedy scenes had the theatre laughing out loud, and would definitely tickle the young and older audiences' funny bones." Abhimanyu Mathur of DNA India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "HanuMan is a brilliant, visually stunning effort from Prasanth Varma in blending mythology with the superhero genre."
Rishil Jogani from Pinkvilla gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "HanuMan is the first surprise package of 2024 as director Prasanth Varma brings out his ambition to the big screen with utmost conviction. The film entertains with the right amount of drama, action, comedy, and devotional value. What holds attention apart from the vision of creating something magical is also the non-serious approach to the superhero tale." Bhargav Chaganti from NTV gave 3.5/5 stars and stated that "Hanuman – Goosebumps Guaranteed Film. Enjoy the festival with the whole family without any hindrance." Y Maheswara Reddy of Bangalore Mirror gave 3.5/5 stars and stated that Prashant Varma "has succeeded in aptly mixing mythology with social elements such as exploitation of the poor by the greedy and underdeveloped villages and the lifestyle of people in such villages. Computer-generated images are a visual treat for family as well as mass audiences, especially children."
Saki of Telangana Today wrote that "HanuMan is the best technically made film in recent times in Telugu. The music, visuals, VFX, and all other production elements totally shine in every episode." Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote that Director Prasanth Varma and actor Teja Sajja's superhero film blends the familiar good versus evil superpower template with a touch of devotion, and tops it with entertaining masala segments" Ram Venkata Srikar of Film Companion wrote that "Hanu Man is an inspiring start, It might just be the biggest surprise for Sankranthi."
Box office
Hanu-Man is the biggest Sankranthi hit in 92 years of Tollywood history.[citation needed] Hanu-Man broke several box-office records for a Telugu film. The film has grossed an estimated ₹350 crore (US$36 million), emerging as the tenth highest-grossing Indian film of 2024, fourth highest-grossing Telugu film of 2024 and eleventh highest-grossing Telugu film worldwide.
The film grossed ₹15 crore (US$1.6 million) on its opening day in India.[citation needed] HanuMan's Hindi version collected a net of ₹6.2 crore (US$640,000) in two days domestically. In its three days of theatrical run, the film grossed over ₹75 crore (US$7.8 million) worldwide, with ₹46.5 crore (US$4.8 million) from India.[citation needed] ₹12.26 crore (US$1.3 million) came from Hindi dubbed version alone in three days. The film grossed overwithin ₹100 crore (US$10 million) four days of its release.
Hanu-Man collected over ₹150 crore (US$16 million) in seven days. Hindi version grossed ₹22.5 crore (US$2.3 million) in a week of its release. It grossed ₹114.10 crore (US$12 million) in nine days run. The film grossed over ₹200 crore (US$21 million) in 10 days worldwide, with ₹132.05 crore (US$14 million) domestically. In 12 days of its theatrical run, the film grossed over ₹200.32 crore (US$21 million) worldwide. The film also collect a distributor share over ₹30 crore (US$3.1 million) in the Telangana in two weeks.[citation needed] Hanu-Man crossed ₹272.78 crore (US$28 million) worldwide, and Hindi version grossed over ₹45 crore (US$4.7 million) in 18 days of its release.
