HanuMan movie review: Teja Sajja film is the perfect family entertainer on Makar Sankranthi

There is a bigger villain already in the film, a superhero figure calling himself Mega Man aka Michael (Vinay Rai). He has grown up on a diet of superheroes like Spider-man and craves the same power, if not the responsibility and sense of duty they come imbibed with. He has put in a lot of work, and spilled a lot of blood, to become a powerful person.

Watch | Trailer of HanuMan starring Teja Sajja

The petty thief in the village has had a crush on Meenakshi (Amritha Aiyer) since he was a kid. While proving his worth to his beloved, Hanumanthu gets into trouble with Gajapathi’s henchmen, falls into the ocean and acquires the Rudhira Mani – a gem enveloping a drop of blood of Lord Hanuman himself.

After getting superpowers from the gem, he defeats the village strongman and his goons. Michael aka Mega Man comes to the village searching for powers that could add to his repertoire and make him the ultimate superhero in the world. The second half is all about the fight between Mega Man and HanuMan.

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Prashanth Varma has shown with his earlier movies (A!, Kalki and Zombie Reddy) that he has plenty of guts and ambition. Both are in full display in HanuMan as he takes a leaf from the Indian mythology and mixes it with the contemporary superhero genre. Varma fits his large-scale ambition in the small universe of a fictional village and creates an entertaining set of characters to convince with the story.

Teja Sajja’s character is cleverly designed to be a petty thief, a weak man who depends on his craftiness rather than his daring or fighting skills. The aid of divine power helps him in realizing his true potential and his duties towards people around him. He slowly grows in stature and becomes the true claimant to divine power, in contrast to the superhero Mega Man who has been craving power all his life and is ready to kill for that.

Getup Srinu, Rakesh Master, Sathya, Vennela Kishore and others play quirky, entertaining characters. The sequence comparing superheroes with Telugu film heroes worked well. The fight with the wrestlers just before the break combines justice being served with the anticipation for the supernatural force coming into full force neatly.

The fight mixed with song Avakaya Anjaneya in the second half entertains. Other songs also suit the mood. Dasharadhi Shivendra’s camera work adds value to the movie. The CGI work during the underwater sequences, shots showing Lord Hanuman are excellent.

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The story surrounding Samudrakhani’s character may not convince all viewers. Other story elements surrounding Rudhira Mani, rakshasas coming back, lack of back story to village Anjanadri etc, render the larger story weak. Thankfully, they don’t impact the larger story.

More than Teja Sajja playing the hero, I liked the way he portrayed the character embracing his vulnerabilities. Samudrakhani excelled in the enigmatic portrayal required by the character. Varalakshmi Sharatkumar impressed with her effortless performance. Getup Srinu, Sathya gave terrific performances. The bird following Sathya everywhere was hilarious. The inclusion of a monkey as a key character and using Ravi Teja’s voice worked well.

HanuMan has many entertaining moments for a wholesome family entertainment this Sankranthi. The film is the first solid entertainer of this year and the festive season.

HanuMan movie cast: Teja Sajja, Amritha Aiyar, Varalakshmi Sharatkumar, Samudrakhani, Vinay Rai, Vennela Kishore, Sathya
HanuMan movie director: Prashanth Varma
HanuMan movie rating: 3 stars