For the child in you
Saying that a generation that grew up watching the Ramayana and Mahabharata on national television would simply love Hanuman is stating the obvious.
V. G. Sawant's animation flick today does what Ramanand Sagar and B. R. Chopra did to that generation: Delivering Indian mythology to Generation Next.
You can sense the excitement in the halls when children keep asking questions about stories they have so often heard from their grandmothers. Finally, a story is coming alive on screen and in a format they are addicted to: animation.
Apart from boasting of some neat animation, Hanuman is a film with great focus. That is its biggest strength and maybe its biggest weakness too.
At no point does it get carried away and the narrative is rooted in telling us all about Hanuman, without really going into what made Ram go on an exile or how Sita was abducted by Ravana.
Originally made in Hindi with Mukesh Khanna dubbing for Hanuman, the film primarily targets an Indian audience that does not need an introduction to the epic tale.
But while the film largely works on the assumption that you already know the story, it also delivers adequate details through the voiceover, with Hanuman being the narrator. So it will not be too much of a surprise if Hanuman does manage to cross over to an audience not familiar with Indian mythology. Hanuman is very nicely paced, with cutesy songs and a rocking background score, adequate to keep the young restless viewer thoroughly entertained.
The packaging of the superhero is very smartly and tastefully done, with Baby Hanuman guaranteed to win a lot of hearts. Simply adorable. Be ready to deal with noise in the hall. After all, this is one movie that takes you back to the days you grew up listening to these stories with great fascination.
SUDHISH KAMATH
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Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
