Prashanth Varma Got Angry With Rajamouli

Prashanth Varma got angry with Rajamouli. After the monumental success of his mythological superhero film HanuMan, which outshone competitors like Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, Venkatesh Daggubati’s Saindhav, Nagarjuna’s Naa Saami Ranga, and Dhanush’s Captain Miller at the Sankranti box office, Telugu filmmaker Prasanth Varma has announced a much-anticipated sequel titled Jai Hanuman.

In a recent interview, Varma revealed that he drew inspiration from SS Rajamouli’s 2022 global blockbuster RRR for HanuMan. Delving deeper into their connection, Varma candidly admitted to harboring a grudge against Rajamouli in the past. Describing himself as an Ekalavya to Rajamouli, Varma shared his early attempts to become an assistant director for the acclaimed filmmaker during his engineering days. Despite multiple efforts to join Rajamouli's team, Varma was politely declined as the team was already complete. This rejection fueled resentment, leading Varma to question why his talent and hard work were not acknowledged.

However, as Varma ventured into independent filmmaking, he gained perspective on Rajamouli's situation. Drawing a parallel to Ekalavya’s story, Varma highlighted that, like the legendary character, he learned the craft by observing from a distance. He absorbed knowledge by studying Rajamouli's films, making-of videos, and dissecting the director's techniques.

Varma went on to recall a crucial encounter with Rajamouli after the release of HanuMan's teaser. Rajamouli praised the teaser at an event, acknowledging that Varma had the opportunity to achieve something that took him (Rajamouli) 20 years. Encouraging Varma to handle this responsibility wisely, Rajamouli advised him not to squander the chance. This interaction led to a scheduled meeting between the two, where Varma sought guidance on VFX procedures and recommendations for VFX companies.

During the meeting, Rajamouli offered valuable insights, suggesting the addition of environmental layers to shots—such as dust for action sequences and smoke for scenes involving fire—to cover up potential VFX flaws. Rajamouli also advised against overly bright scenes, recommending a slightly darker tone to conceal certain imperfections. Varma credits these inputs for greatly aiding the VFX shots in HanuMan.

With HanuMan's global success, grossing Rs 230 crore worldwide against a Rs 40 crore budget, Varma now aims to create a shared universe with 12 interconnected movies. This ambitious vision solidifies Varma's standing in the industry, showcasing the impact of his journey and learnings from both successes and challenges.