103. Hanu-Man; movie review

 

HANU-MAN

Cert 12A

158 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, injury detail

Is it a spoof of superhero movies or just a different angle on them? Or does it matter?

The foundation of Prasanth Varma's film is a revered Hindu God but its hero begins the movie as a workshy thief (Teja Sajja).

Saijja's character, Hanumanthu, is desperate to impress the eloquent doctor Meenakshi (Amritha Aiyer), whom he has loved from afar since their school days.

When he is blessed with possession of a stone which bestows superpowers, he seizes on the chance to impress her.

Thus, he takes on the muscular tyrant Gajapathi (Raj Deepak Shetty), who heads his village and maims or even kills any opponents in the wrestling ring.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, a wealthy businessman (Vinay Rai) is fulfilling his childhood dream of being a superhero.

However, this supposed saviour has a very vicious streak, taking pleasure in killing those who stand in his way.

And, after seeing Hanumanthu in a social media video, he wants his powers.

Thus, most of the movie centres on the battle between the supervillain and the superhero.

Sajja impresses as the flawed title character who will be embraced by audiences as his conscience develops.

Rai is the usual one-dimensional villain, greedy for power, riling us up enough for us to want to see his comeuppance.

I was also taken by the feisty contributions of Aiyer and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as Hanu-man's sister.

Overall, it doesn't have the same special effects of a Marvel or DC film but there is enough for young cinema fans to enjoy and relish 2025's sequel.

Reasons to watch: New take on superhero movies

Reasons to avoid: Too long

Laughs: Chuckles rather than laughs

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Hanuman, also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism. Hanuman is the patron of martial arts and an example of courage.

The final word. Prasanth Varma: "Teja’s image is perfect for this role, and I thought it would be more interesting if he got powers. For this role, Teja did a hundred per cent justice, and he got a special makeover for this." 123 Telugu

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