Movie Review : Hanuman

 Hanu-man - Cast & Crew

Cast
Teja Sajja – Hanumanthu
Amritha Aiyer - Meenakshi
Vinay Rai - Michael
Raj Deepak Shetty - Village Chief Gajapathi
Vennela Kishore - Siri Vennela
Samuthirakani - Elderly Sage - Vibhishana, King of Lanka
CREW
Director - Prasanth Varma
Written by - Prasanth Varma, Scriptsville
Producer - Niranjan Reddy
Cinematography - Dasaradhi Sivendra
Editor -Sai Babu Talari
Music - Anudeep Dev, GowraHari, Krishna Saurabh
Production Company - Primeshow Entertainment
Distributed by Sakthi Film Factory

Pro  - Yuvaraj ( Tamil)

Michael ( Vinay Rai) has a unique ambition since childhood. He wants to be a superhero at any cost.  So he keeps doing experiments to ace his game, aided by his childhood buddy Siri ( Vennela Kishore). 

Far away in a tiny hamlet near a lake, lives Hanumanthu ( Teja Sajja) with his sister (Varalaxmi). He is an aimless, playful young lad, who has a crush on  Meenkashi (Amrutha Iyer) since childhood. Meenakshi is a compassionate and bold doctor, who believes in speaking up against tyranny.

One day, Hanumanthu's life changes completely when he discovers a magical stone which gives him unusual strength, but only till the Sun is up. With this power, he is able to do many a good deed and help people in need. This earns him the affection of Meenakshi as well.

Somehow, the evil minded Michael finds out about Hanumanthu's superpowers and in his greed, wants to find out the source and grab it to wreak havoc on the world, thus misusing the superpowers.

Does Michael succeed? What is the ancient secret behind this stone? Does Hanumanthu save his village and mankind from the villain's plan?

The film is a simply superb, cherished experience. 

Building up the background with Michael's story, it then  takes you headlong  into Anjanadri, the world of Hanumanthu and the simple village folk.  The visuals and vfx are such that you can almost breathe the fresh air of their idyllic world. The giant Hanuman statue carved in rock sets the tone for what's to come. Prashanth Varma's cinematic universe draws your interest completely.

Without giving away spoilers, suffice it to say that the film is a full -on clean entertainer for the entire family.  There is humor, emotion, suspense and action galore, but nothing seems overdone.

 

The Tamil dubbing is well done and retains and conveys the flavour of the story perfectly. 

The story of Hanuman and Lord Ram is entwined beautifully and organically into the tale of Hanumanthu and his super hero powers . Goosebump moments are guaranteed at various places and  especially at the climax. 

The acting of Vinay as the classy villain is superb. He gives a measured performance and his scenes with Vennela Kishore,( who shines in a different role than his usual), are interesting viewing.

Teja Sajja as Hanumanthu brings out perfectly his innocence and subsequent growth as an individual, more so when he discovers the source of his powers. His scenes with Amritha, his sister, his buddy and the village folk are entertaining. A consummate actor, he is perfectly cast, and his eyes do all the talking. 

Amritha Iyer and Varalaxmi give solid performances, with Varu shining in a surprise action sequence.  Watch out for a moving brother-sister portion in the second half.

One of the highlights of the movie is it supeeb casting, right down to every hit man or villager. The director brings out the innocent banter of village folk and their daily lives very engagingly.

 Samuthirakanni brings gravitas with his performance.

The film has drama but never gets melodramatic. Dialogues are to the point with not a repetitive word or notion added. The screenplay and story move steadily forward and at no point does one feel disengaged.

There are however, some scenes of violence like those  in the beginning and later in jungle scenes.

The Bgm is a huge plus for the film especially at the end. The visuals are breathtaking while the special effects appear natural and imaginatively utilused.

The film is easily one of the finest superhero films from the country, blending the stories and powers of our Gods into the contemporary world,  with perfect finesse and ease, making it a superb cinematic experience that stays with you long after. 

Hanuman is a not- to- be-missed watch  for  the entire family. Watch out for a breathtaking climax with the promise of a sequel, Jai Hanuman, in 2025.