Box office collection: 'HanuMan' earns Rs. 3.5cr on day 23
Prasanth Varma's Telugu superhero film HanuMan—starring Teja Sajja—has made history by becoming the biggest Makar Sankranti blockbuster in Tollywood's 92-year history. The film—released pan-India on January 12—has dominated the box office despite facing competition from biggies like Guntur Kaaram, Captain Miller, and Merry Christmas. On its fourth Saturday (day 23), the film's earnings surged to Rs. 3.5 crore, leaping from Rs. 1.45cr on Friday.
Why does this story matter?
HanuMan has shattered multiple box-office records for a Telugu film, grossing over Rs. 280cr worldwide. It stands out as the highest-grossing Indian film of 2024 so far and the eighth-highest-grossing Telugu film worldwide. Starring Sajja, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Amritha Aiyer, and Vinay Rai, the film unfolds in the fictional village of Anjanadri. It narrates Hanumanthu's journey, who gets the power of Lord Hanuman to rescue Anjanadri's people. Lauded for its impactful visual effects (VFX), HanuMan truly defied expectations.
Glance: Domestic box office collection and occupancy rates
Sacnilk reported that HanuMan earned an estimated Rs. 3.5cr on its fourth Saturday (day 23), bringing its domestic total to Rs. 185.3cr. The Telugu screenings had an occupancy rate of 33.99%, with the largest audience turnout during the night shows (43.94%). With no major releases last week, HanuMan only faced competition from Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone's Fighter. It is now eyeing to cross Rs. 200cr in India.
Quick look at Varma's directorial journey, upcoming projects
Varma made his feature film directorial debut in 2018 with Awe!—a psychological thriller starring Kajal Aggarwal, Nithya Menen, and Murali Sharma. He later received acclaim for Kalki (2019) and Zombie Reddy (2021). On January 22, 2024, on the occasion of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, Varma announced the pre-production work for the sequel, Jai HanuMan, had started. He also plans to make another movie called Adhira as part of his Prashanth Varma Cinematic Universe (PVCU).
'HanuMan' sequel details and casting speculations
The first film concluded with a cliffhanger, setting the stage for the sequel's plot. The role of Lord Hanuman in Jai HanuMan is yet to be determined. Varma has been throwing out names like Yash, Mahesh Babu, and Chiranjeevi to make the sequel more prominent than ever. In an interview with Republic, Varma teased, "Jai Hanuman follows Hanuman ji coming out of his years of meditation to fulfill that promise. There is going to be a big war."
