While watching various types of movies can be rewarding, nothing beats digging into franchises, particularly those made by DC and Marvel, which have produced countless films and TV series that belong to shared universes. Although Indian cinema doesn't have a reputation for producing these kinds of movies, many people may be pleasantly surprised this year. While it has created multiple superhero films, including Minnal Murali, the Krrish franchise, Flying Jatt, and Ra-One, it has yet to embark on a superhero franchise, which leads us to the upcoming film Hanu Man.
Hanu Man is an upcoming Telugu-language superhero film written and directed by Prashanth Varma, a filmmaker who, despite his recent debut, has a promising future in Tollywood. Following the success of Zombie Reddy in 2021, the director unveiled Hanu Man in May 2021, a film based on the Hindu God Hanuman. As Tollywood's first superhero film, it will be followed shortly by Adhira, which will be based on another Hindu God, Indra, who wields lightning. With that in mind, here's everything we know about Hanu Man, one of the most anticipated Indian films of 2023.
Hanu Man: The Plot
Before we get into the plot of Hanu Man, it's essential to learn more about the God Hanuman, who is not only the inspiration for the film's main character but also a source of devotion to many believers who envision him when they think of a superhuman. Hanuman is Lord Rama's celestial companion, and he is one of the primary characters in the Hindu epic Ramayana, which appears to have transpired thousands of years ago according to various legends offered by Indian mythology. Some claim that Lord Hanuman faced the Sun as a child and even possessed incredible abilities such as unparalleled strength, flight, irresistible willpower, and absolute control over his senses.
With the tagline, "The Ancient Shall Rise Again," the film is set in a fictional village of Anjanadri and follows Hanumanthu, who miraculously awakens Lord Hanuman's power after being involved in an accident near the sea. After a series of events, he realizes that his body is not like usual and that he can do unbelievable things like conjuring unimaginable strength and flying without effort. However, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility, and Hanumanthu was given this power for a reason.
Michael, a mysterious villain, is hunting down various people for something he desires and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. He somehow ends up following the leads to Anjanadri's village, and now it's up to Hanumanthu to take on this terrifying human who, while not endowed with heavenly powers, has a slew of tricks up his sleeve. Who will triumph in this battle between righteousness and greed?
Hanu Man: The Cast & Crew
Hanu Man features a cast that includes many well-known Tamil and Telugu actors. Teja Sajja plays the film's main protagonist, Hanumanthu, who possesses Lord Hanuman's superpower. Since he was five, the actor has appeared in films and has portrayed some excellent roles in movies such as Chiranjeevi's Indra, Chatrapathi, and Sri Ramadasu. After making his debut as a hero in the first Telugu zombie film, Zombie Reddy, directed by Prashanth Varma, he went on to star in two more hit films, Ishq: Not a Love Story and Adbhutam. Meanwhile, Vinay Rai plays Michael, the antagonist. He is widely recognized in the Tamil industry for his roles in Dam999, Doctor, Thupparivaalan, and Christopher.
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, who plays Anjamma, and Amritha Aiyer, who plays Meenakshi, will also have significant roles in the film. While the former is best known for her work on Vikram Vedha, Sarkar, Krack, Yashoda, and Chasing, the latter has acted in several popular films, including the Tamil hit football films Bigil, Red, and Padai Veeran. While these few characters are proven to be vital in driving the story forward, here's a peek at the supporting cast: Vennela Kishore, Satya, Getup Srinu, Deepak Shetty, Bhanu Prakash, and many others.
As previously stated, Hanu Man is written and directed by Prashanth Varma as part of his superhero-shared universe, which will include many more thrilling films in the future. Adbhutam, Zombie Reddy, Awe!, Kalki, and That Is Mahalakshmi are among the filmmaker's previous works. The film's music is composed by Anudeep Dev, Hari Gowra, and Krishna Saurabh, who, while never having worked together before, show promising work in the film's teaser. Dasaradhi Sivendra, who is also credited to Kalki and Ayushman Bhava, is behind the outstanding cinematography of Hanu Man. Kniranjanreddy produced the film, and Asrinreddy executive produced it in association with PrimeShow Entertainment.
Release Date
The upcoming Pan-Indian superhero film Hanu Man will hit theaters on May 12.
From his debut writing, Awe!, to his first directorial, Zombie Reddy, Prashanth Varma has always been considered experimental. Taking that into consideration, Hanu Man can potentially change the face of Tollywood by introducing a superhero film and, subsequently, a shared universe.