This young hero has beaten superstars like Mahesh Babu, Dhanush, and Katrina Kaif to deliver the first hit of 2024, a bigger hit than Pushpa and KGF.
The year 2024 has taken quite an auspicious start for Indian cinema. The second weekend of the year always sees several big films releasing due to the Pongal and Sankranthi celebrations in the south. This year was no different with big superstars like Mahesh Babu and Dhanush coming with their latest releases, and Bollywood chipping in too. And yet, in the end, the winner at the box office is a 29-year-old relatively unknown actor, who is headlining the year’s first hit.
The man who beat superstars with a small film
Teja Sajja is the toast of the nation right now. The 29-year-old actor is starring in the mythological superhero drama HanuMan, running in theatres currently. The small film, made on a Rs 60-crore budget, released alongside some big names – Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, Dhanush’s Captain Miller, Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi’s Merry Christmas, Venkatesh’s Saindhav, and Nagarjuna’s Naa Saami Ranga. Despite all the films and stars being bigger than him and his release, Teja has emerged as the clear winner at the Pongal/Sankranthi weekend.
On Monday, HanuMan earned Rs 14-15 crore net in India, the same amount as Guntur Kaaram despite having much fewer screens across India. None of the other films even managed half as much. In fact, HanuMan’s Hindi-dubbed version alone netted over Rs 5 crore, outdoing Merry Christmas by around three times. The Sriram Raghavan film earned just Rs 1.65 crore on its first Monday.
How HanuMan emerged as the first hit of 2024
While Guntur Kaaram has made more worldwide (though the gap is diminishing), HanuMan’s lower production costs have meant that the film is already a sureshot hit. The film has already earned over Rs 55 crore in India and over Rs 90 crore worldwide. Guntur Kaaram is the only Indian film ahead of it but its Rs 200-crore budget is a hindrance in it being successful. On Monday, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “HanuMan emerges first hit of 2024! Packs an impressive total in its opening weekend. While mass pockets continue to dominate, the national chains have also joined the party.”
How HanuMan is beating KGF, Pushpa, and Kantara
Directed by Prasanth Varma, HanuMan is originally a Telugu film but has also released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. The other three language dubs are not doing so great but the film’s Hindi dub is making waves at the box office. In its first weekend, HanuMan netted Rs 12 crore from its Hindi version alone, a number that is higher than the Hindi dubs of KGF Chapter 1 and Kantara, and the same as Pushpa The Rise. Trade experts say that the film can continue to grow further till Fighter releases in nine days’ time. “Going forward, the strong hold in mass sectors is a big plus, since these pockets will be driving its biz on weekdays. Also, as highlighted yesterday, lack of major releases should help HanuMan cement its status,” tweeted Taran Adarsh.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "India's first hit of 2024")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}