HanuMan, the recently released Telugu superhero film starring Teja Sajja, has crossed the coveted Rs 100 crore gross box office collection mark globally within 5 days of its release.
Phenomenal Opening Weekend Collections
The mythological action film had a phenomenal opening weekend, collecting over Rs 40 crore gross worldwide. This is higher than the first weekend collections of KGF Chapter 1 and Kantara, two of the biggest blockbusters from the South Indian film industry in recent times.
HanuMan collected nearly Rs 27 crore gross on its first day itself in the Telugu states. It saw a minor drop on the second day but picked up tremendously again on Sunday.
HanuMan Box Office Collections Breakdown:
Day 1 - Rs 26.5 crore
Day 2 - Rs 9.2 crore
Day 3 - Rs 13 crore
Day 4 - Rs 8.3 crore
Day 5 - Rs 11.5 crore
Total: Rs 68.5 crore (India)
Rs 100+ crore (Worldwide)
Film trade analysts predict the film will enter the Rs 150 crore club within a week’s time in India itself.
Getting Closer to Surpassing Kantara’s Lifetime Collections
In India, after 5 days, HanuMan has already collected 68% of Kantara’s full theatrical run collection of about Rs 100 crore. It is now aiming to surpass Kantara’s numbers in the next 2-3 days.
Internationally too, especially in the US, the film is creating new benchmarks for Indian regional cinema. HanuMan has become the first Telugu film to cross $3 million in North America within 5 days.
Word-of-Mouth Helping Sustain Collections
Despite new Telugu releases like Megastar Chiranjeevi’s Waltair Veerayya and Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, HanuMan has held its ground firmly thanks to tremendous word-of-mouth publicity.
The film is appealing to the family audience and repeat audience due to its inspiring storyline about the journey of a young man discovering his inner strength with the blessings of Lord Hanuman.
Director Prasanth Varma Announces HanuMan Franchise
Elated by the blockbuster response to HanuMan, director Prasanth Varma has announced that it will be the first of a superhero franchise.
He revealed plans to introduce more superheroes from Hindu mythology over the next few years, extending this into a multi-film universe.
When asked about the success, Varma credited the film’s honest and sincere attempt at portraying Hanuman’s story for the audience’s acceptance.
“Unlike Adipurush, Telugu films have never misrepresented gods,” he remarked, referencing the recent controversial depiction of Lord Rama and Hanuman in the Om Raut directorial.
Praise from Industry Veterans
HanuMan has also been receiving praise from senior film personalities like director Vivek Agnihotri and Kantara star Rishabh Shetty.
Agnihotri noted that the film’s success showed the audience’s willingness to accept new ideas if the storytelling was rooted in Indian ethos.
Meanwhile, Shetty appreciated HanuMan’s effective balance of spirituality and entertainment, calling it “a triumph in storytelling and filmmaking”.
OTT Release Plans
For those who haven’t caught HanuMan on the big screen yet, there are rumors of an OTT release in early February, most likely on ZEE5. However, an official announcement is awaited.
If digital rights are sold at current increased valuation, it will be another boost for the film’s already astonishing box office performance.
The producers are also planning to dub the film in Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam to present it to a wider Indian audience.
HanuMan Sparks Resurgence of Devotional Films
The trend of mythology and devotion in Indian commercial cinema had slowed down in recent years. But HanuMan’s reversal of this decline has sparked hopes for more such experimental attempts.
Telugu cinema now has a bunch of spiritual films lined up this year around Lord Venkateshwara, the popular deity of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. There are also speculations about Mahabharata / Ramayana universe projects.
HanuMan has started 2024 with a bang for Tollywood. It remains to be seen how long this divine wave continues at the box office.
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