Hanu-Man Review

Hanu-Man unfolds like a classic superhero origin story: a loveable young man stumbles across an ancient artifact with magical powers, and fights to keep it away from the nefarious villain. Director-writer Prasanth Varma grounds his superhero story in the mythology of Ramayana - the magical artifact, "Rudra mani", is a drop of Lord Hanuman's blood encased in nacre. But at its heart, Hanu-Man is an underdog coming-of-age story about a small-town boy Hanumanthu stepping up to fulfill his higher calling.

Hanumanthu is an endearing protagonist. He is the village mischief-maker, secretly in love with his childhood crush Meenakshi (Amrita Aiyer). One of the film's most charming sequences happens when Hanu explores his newfound powers. He accidentally topples a wall and rips off a door from its hinges. When his friend questions if he is at least as powerful as a Telugu movie hero, Hanu heaves a stone on his shoulder like Bahubali, kicks a hand pump like Arya, and for the final feat, stands in front of an oncoming train and orders it to turn back like Balayya in Chennakesava Reddy.

One of Hanuman's biggest strengths is its uncomplicated screenplay, which leaves room for character building. In just a few scenes it fully develops the tough-love bond between Hanu and his older sister (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar). The village is rich with distinctive characters, from Hanu's sidekick (a prosthetic-wearing Getup Srinu) to the shopkeeper with the rat's nest hair (Satya) and the grandmothers in need of rescue. Even a wacky anthropomorphized monkey (voiced by Ravi Teja) that keeps popping up in reaction shots doesn't feel totally out of place.

Hanu-Man's stock villain character of Michael (Vinay Rai) and his bumbling scientist sidekick are the film's least compelling characters. When Michael and his team descend into Anjanagiri with their armour suits and smoke guns, the film's atmosphere noticeably dips. Vennela Kishore's tacky performance and Vinay Rai's flatness sink it further.

At times, Teja Sajja's screen presence feels too insubstantial to carry the weight of a superhero role. But with Hanu finding his footing for much of the runtime, Sajja's meagreness doesn't hamper the show. It remains to be seen how effective Teja is in the sequel that the finale teases as an epic tale of cosmic wars and formidable foes.

Prashanth's thoughtfulness as a director is most apparent in the film's songs which seem to follow the structure of burra kathas. They help explain the lore and set the context, effectively doing the thing songs are supposed to do, which is to heighten the narrative weight of a scene. The film's graphical flourishes, from the mighty Hanuman statue towering over Anjanagiri to the Lord Hanuman-esque feats, put Adipurush, the cringey Ramayana movie which cost 25 times as much to make, once again to shame.

Hanuman wins the Sankranthi battle at the box-office against big star films like Guntur Kaaram and Saindhav by staying old-school with its linear narrative and well-rounded characters. Varma creates a family movie that feels inspired from Bahubali and RRR but makes a definitive mark all of its own. Children will find Hanu-Man a worthy idol, and will learn a few lessons along the way. And for god-fearing Hindu parents, Hanu-Man might just get the kids to clamour for Ramayana at bedtime.