We have all heard about and been excited about superhero movies and their cinematic universe. Lately, this trend has caught up with the South Indian film industry where there have been multiple attempts to create a superhero universe inspired by traditional heritage and culture.
The most recent addition is the movie Hanu-Man. This Telugu-language superhero movie is the first instalment of what they are calling the PVCU. This is the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe that the director is starting.
Meet the Cast and Crew of Hanu-Man
Hanu-Man released in theatres recently and went on to become a huge hit – and this is no wonder, especially since the Hanu-Man cast and crew are a stellar bunch:
- Teja Sajja as Hanumanthu or Hanu-Man
- Amritha Aiyer as Dr. Meenakshi
- Vennela Kishore as Dr. Sirivennela or ‘Siri’
- Vinay Rai as Michael / Mega Man
- Raj Deepak Shetty as Gajapathi
- Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as Anjamma
- Satya as Gunneswara Rao
- Samuthirakani as the King of Lanka, Vibhishana
- Ravi Teja in voiceover form as a monkey, Koti
This Telugu action movie was made by a truly skilled crew. This includes:
- Prasanth Varma as the director
- K Niranjan Reddy as the producer
- Dasaradhi Sivendra as the cinematographer
- Sai Babu Talari as the editor
- Gowra Hari, Krishna Saurabh, and Anudeep Dev as the music composers.
The Story of Hanu-Man
The Hanu-Man movie follows Hanumanthu, a petty thief who lives in a fictional village called Anjanadri. He gets supernatural powers when he encounters a gem in the middle of the ocean. He discovers that he has stumbled upon the powers that Lord Hanuman is said to have. Meanwhile, there is a dark evil in the form of a Mumbai-based superhero that is threatening his village and its people to become more powerful. Thanks to the powers, it is now Hanumanthu’s responsibility to defend and save the village. This journey shows how he deals with his newfound powers and his superhero destiny. In this process, he now understands the true meaning of power and the responsibility it brings.
The Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe
It is well known that the movie is part of the director Prasanth Varma’s attempt to make his very own cinematic universe. This PVCU or the Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe will have its superhero movies take inspiration from Hinduism. The end credits of the movie Hanu-Man announce the sequel with the title Jai Hanu-Man. The title of the third instalment in the universe has also been revealed as Adhira.
Makers have revealed that the sequel would focus more on the deity Lord Hanuman as compared to the character of Hanumanthu. There are also reports that the RRR actor Ram Charan has given an audition for the role of Shri Ram in the second instalment. Prasanth Varma chose the occasion of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration to announce that the pre-production or the shoot prep for the sequel Jai Hanu-Man has begun.
Hanu-Man First Impressions: Critics and the Box Office
The Telugu Action movie Hanu-Man was released on 12th January 2024 to highly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.
● Hanu-Man’s Critical Review
The film critics who watched the movie were all praises for the cast and the crew. There was high praise for the cast members and their performances in the film. On the other hand, the technical aspects were also much talked about. Prasanth Varma, the director, was applauded for his direction, and screenwriting. The action sequences, comic timing, background score, VFX, and the production design of the movie also greatly impressed them.
Other than this, the overall conception of the Telugu adventure movie was also party to praise. Critics who reviewed the movie felt that the movie was highly successful in merging contemporary action and superhero genres with masala and mythology. The movie Hanu-Man and its makers were also given the credit for addressing important social issues in a well-balanced manner. The resultant mix was seen as a positively unique viewing experience in Indian cinema.
● Hanu-Man at the Box-office
Hanu-Man has emerged as the biggest hit movie to come out on Sankranthi in the 92-year-long Tollywood history. Not only this, the movie also broke many Telugu film box office records. The movie had a budget of 40 crores and went on to do a total business of 330 crores and counting. This made Hanu-Man the highest-grossing Telugu film of 2024 and the highest-grossing Indian film of 2024. Also, the movie became the eighth highest-grossing Telugu film on a global scale.
The Hanu-Man release date on OTT was in March. You can now ensure that you have the best weekend or weeknight plans with this Telugu superhero movie, only on the ZEE5 OTT platform.
