‘HanuMan catapulted me into the spotlight’

How did your journey with HanuMan team began?

As the founder of a small start-up, I was actively seeking a compelling portfolio project to showcase our skills. When the HanuMan team approached me, I was unaware of the hero or director, and they presented a modest concept for a teaser with a limited budget. Despite the financial constraints, I recognised the project’s potential and decided to take it on.

With 25 to 27 years of industry experience, I understood the importance of resource optimisation. We passionately worked on the teaser while simultaneously developing additional scenes for the movie. The outcome exceeded expectations —the teaser became a game-changer, garnering widespread acclaim and elevating expectations for the entire film.

Initially unfamiliar with the broader context of the movie, I found myself becoming partially responsible for its production and characters as a technician. However, the challenge arose when we realised the budget constraints post-teaser release. In response, we made the strategic decision to scale up the budget, particularly focusing on enhancing critical scenes. For instance, despite having completed 50% of the work on the underwater sequence, the overwhelmingly positive response to the teaser prompted us to rework and elevate its quality.

What were the technically challenging shots from the movie?

The first song in the movie, depicting Hanuman’s birth, initially had a 2D animation plan due to budget considerations. However, driven by my passion and inspired by the title sequence of Baahubali 2, I embraced the challenge and transformed it into a stunning 3D animation. Despite the film’s smaller scale, the dedication of the director and technicians shone through, resulting in an exceptionally well-executed sequence.

Another noteworthy aspect is the Anjanadri establishment shot, a technically challenging scene lasting over two minutes. To achieve this, extensive research and the utilisation of Hollywood software, coupled with an intelligent pipeline, were employed. From a technician’s perspective, the result is strikingly photorealistic, with vibrant colours capturing the essence of Hanuman.