'HanuMan' box office: Telugu superhit inches closer to Rs. 160cr
What's the story
Rising Telugu star Teja Sajja's latest film, HanuMan, directed by Prasanth Varma, has turned out to be the audience's instant favorite.
Despite being pitted against movies such as Guntur Kaaram, Captain Miller, and Merry Christmas, HanuMan has not just impressed the viewers but has also taken the box office by storm.
The film is now inching closer to Rs. 160 crore in India.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The first part of Prasanth Varma Cinematic Universe, HanuMan was released on January 12 and has encashed upon the opportunity tremendously well.
Originally shot in Telugu, it was also released in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, and Tamil, among other languages.
Despite Sajja being a relatively new face (as a lead actor), the film's rooted sensibilities and visuals have generated positive reviews, helping it mint money.
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Looking at film in numbers
Per Sacnilk, HanuMan made Rs. 8.1cr on Friday, benefitting immensely from the Republic Day holiday, bringing its domestic total to Rs. 158.5 crore.
The Telugu shows had an occupancy of 67.39%, with the maximum audience turning out during the evening shows (81.29%).
This revenue is significant since it comes at a time when Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone's Fighter has taken over the screens.
Story
This is what happens in 'HanuMan'
In HanuMan, Sajja plays Hanumanth, a petty thief and a wayward young man who lives in a fictional village called Anjanadri with his elder sister.
His life completely upends when a powerful, magical stone lends him the powers of Lord Hanuman, which he uses for the betterment of his village.
HanuMan also features Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, and Vinay Rai.
Sajja's reaction
This is what Sajja said about film's success
Speaking to 123Telugu, Sajja recently expressed elation at the overwhelming response to HanuMan.
He said, "[It is] getting an extraordinary response from all corners. Audiences are lapping up the film. I am surprised to see the response from other languages."
"I am familiar with Telugu audiences, but the other language audiences don't even know me. HanuMan will remain a benchmark film in my career."
Varma's other work
Overview of director Varma's other films
Varma made his directorial debut with Awe! in 2018 (watch it on Netflix), a meditative psychological thriller starring Kajal Aggarwal, Nithya Menen, and Murali Sharma, among others.
He further garnered acclaim for Kalki (2019; streaming on Amazon Prime Video) and Zombie Reddy (2021; available on both Aha and ZEE5).
Varma will next direct Jai HanuMan, a direct sequel to HanuMan.