Hanuman Da' Damdaar

Of all the animation movies i have ever seen in my life this is the worst one. Bollywood film makers had a unique itching syndrome. Unfortunately no ointment worked on it. They referred to every dermatologist for it but nothing worked. Then they discovered an exceptional way of satisfying their itch. They concluded that making fun of hinduism, and hindu rituals gave them a soul chilling experience and the feeling was something like never before. As chills are good for itching, they decided to do this more often and the rest is history.

This movie is a Very good entertainment for Indian family mainly kids. I know many people have criticized the movie for its low cost animation and silly dialogues etc but I sincerely think that it is a very good effort towards reviving Indian Animation along with few other Indian Animation movies which released in past few years. It is 100 times better to 'try' rather than sit and analyze/criticize.

The movie starts with great visuals and story set up till the lead characters goes into forest. After that it all becomes a TV show. I guess the makers also knew about this mistake, if at all it can be considered a mistake. However there should have been a balance of silliness and seriousness throughout instead of making it completely comical throughout.

Overall me and family enjoyed the movie and we laughed when our kids laughed.

Please don't watch. Terrible. Destroyed and manipulated mythology with pathetic language.

### Title: Hanuman Da' Damdaar (2017) - A Disappointing Dive into Mythology

"Hanuman Da' Damdaar," released in 2017, promised to be a fun, family-friendly animated film aimed at introducing the younger generation to the adventures of the beloved Hindu deity, Hanuman. However, what it delivered was a disappointing, watered-down version of mythology, plagued by poor storytelling, lackluster animation, and a misguided attempt at modernizing ancient tales with subpar humor and language.

#### Plot and Script

The film centers around young Hanuman, who is depicted as a carefree, playful child. In an attempt to make the narrative relatable to children, the story veers away from traditional mythology, incorporating modern elements and colloquial language that feel out of place. The plot follows Hanuman as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and adventure, learning valuable lessons along the way.

Unfortunately, the script fails to capture the essence of the rich and profound mythology it draws from. The dialogue is filled with contemporary slang and humor that, rather than making the story more engaging, detracts from the timelessness and spiritual depth of Hanuman's legend. Important mythological events are glossed over or trivialized, stripping the narrative of its grandeur and significance.

#### Characterization and Voice Acting

Hanuman, one of the most revered and powerful deities in Hindu mythology, is reduced to a caricature of his true self. While it's understandable that the filmmakers aimed to present a child-friendly version of Hanuman, the character lacks the depth and heroism that make him an iconic figure. His journey feels superficial, and his character development is minimal.

The supporting characters, including other deities and mythological figures, are similarly one-dimensional. They are portrayed in a way that makes them feel more like cartoonish sidekicks rather than the powerful and wise beings they are in the original texts.

The voice acting is a mixed bag. While some actors put in a decent effort, others sound uninspired and detached, further diminishing the impact of the characters they portray. The use of contemporary slang and forced humor in the dialogue makes the voice acting feel even more out of place.

#### Animation and Visuals

For an animated film, "Hanuman Da' Damdaar" falls short in the visual department. The animation quality is subpar, with stiff character movements and poorly rendered backgrounds. The film's color palette is vibrant, but the overall execution lacks the polish and fluidity that one would expect from a modern animated feature.

The character designs are also problematic. While an attempt is made to make Hanuman and other mythological figures look appealing to children, the designs come off as overly simplistic and lack the awe-inspiring qualities that should be associated with divine beings. The visual representation of mythological events and locations is uninspired, failing to transport the audience to the majestic world of ancient Hindu epics.

#### Direction and Pacing

The film's direction is another area where it falters. The pacing is erratic, with scenes dragging on unnecessarily or being cut abruptly, leading to a disjointed viewing experience. Important plot points and character moments are rushed, while inconsequential scenes are given undue attention. This uneven pacing makes it difficult to stay engaged with the story.

The director's attempt to balance humor, adventure, and mythology is poorly executed. The film's tone fluctuates awkwardly between lighthearted comedy and moments that are supposed to be serious and profound. This tonal inconsistency further hampers the film's ability to deliver a cohesive and impactful narrative.

#### Cultural and Mythological Respect

One of the most significant issues with "Hanuman Da' Damdaar" is its lack of respect for the source material. The film distorts and simplifies complex mythological narratives to fit a modern, child-friendly mold, but in doing so, it loses the essence of what makes these stories enduring and meaningful. Sacred myths are turned into mere entertainment, with little regard for their spiritual and cultural significance.

The film's attempt to modernize mythology with contemporary language and humor feels misguided and disrespectful. Instead of honoring the depth and wisdom of the original tales, "Hanuman Da' Damdaar" opts for a shallow and trivialized version that is likely to disappoint and alienate those familiar with and appreciative of the rich traditions of Hindu mythology.

#### Conclusion

"Hanuman Da' Damdaar" is a missed opportunity to introduce young audiences to the rich and inspiring world of Hindu mythology. Its flawed script, lackluster animation, and disrespectful treatment of sacred stories make it a disappointing watch. Rather than being a fun and educational experience, the film turns into a frustrating and unsatisfying journey that fails to do justice to the legendary hero Hanuman. Parents and children alike would be better served by exploring the original tales or more faithful adaptations that honor the spirit and significance of these timeless stories.

Bollywood must not be allowed to show wrong stories about great personalities like Hanuman Jee in their movies like they did in this'Hanuman Da Damdaar' movie. I know they are not capable of making good movies but they can at least not cross limit so that at least Bollywood doesn't get banned.

Hanuman Da Dumdar started as a great movie with Salman Khan as the lead actor playing Hanuman. I started loving the movie in the first five minutes itself, as when Valmiki went to Hanuman and I heard Hanuman saying common phrases from Hindi movies, I laughed so hard. I was actually very skeptical of having Salman Khan as the actor playing anyone and I thought it might not be a great movie because of that, as I thought that Salman Khan would probably not be that great of a voice for Hanuman. Although, when the actual movie started with young Hanuman, I started believing that the movie would be more fun, which turned out to be true.

Although the animation of the movie was not that good, I really like how the movie was written and the movie is a great story. I am sure that this movie is historically or mythologically inaccurate, but I still enjoyed the movie a lot because it showed more of a story of Hanuman as a kid. The movie works really well with the actual mythology itself. We see that, in the movie, Hanuman does not remember the great feats he had achieved as a kid. This also happened in the real story where Hanuman forgets his brave feats that he achieved as a kid because of a curse placed upon him by a sage. In the real story, Hanuman does not remember his past until he's reminded by Jambhuvan, a bear who is also a good friend of hanuman. Even though in this movie Hanuman is performing a lot of brave acts, he does not really remember his past and the great stories as a kid that we remember from the mythology.

Having this story relate to the actual mythology, even loosely, is good to see. I enjoyed the movie because it was a great way of narration of the story that was captivating, and also just learning about how the different characters connect in the actual story is fun in itself. We see some other characters from Hindu mythology such as Vishnu, Indra, etc. The most fun part of the movie for me was when Hanuman pushes an entire island off mainland India. I literally felt shivers run down my spine when I saw that moment in the movie. Again, this is most likely not what really happened in the actual stories (definitely didn't happen in real life), but I still loved the moment.

Overall, it is a great watch and very enjoyable with the modern, funny lingo which captivates younger audiences as well. The songs in this movie are very childish but other than that, this is a good story and it's worth a watch, especially if you are aware of the Hindu mythology.

Many people in the comments are saying that they didn't like the modern adaption of the language and the way they made the story does not make sense because it is mythologically inaccurate. While I agree that that is most likely the case, and that the story in this movie is not correct according to Valmiki's Ramayana or any other depictions of it, I also think that mythology in part is about telling the stories, in any form. Let's face it, all mythological stories are false and every adaptation of Ramayana is kinda like a fan fiction version of the original Ramayana. Looking at it from that perspective, this is a great movie and I would give it a 7/10, considering the other things I mentioned above. But the other part of mythology is conserving the culture and passing it down through generations. In that aspect, the rating would drop down really low.