Delhi kids receive a genuinely warm gift from Bollywood this winter. “The Return of Hanuman” is the first animation sequel from India and the director Anurag Kashyap has promised kids that the film would not disappoint them. It is a 2D film, with a lot of special effects thrown in. Unlike the previous version, the current film is set in contemporary times and the protagonist Hanuman turns up as a child named Maruti to protect the world from the forces of evil. Delhi kids are in love with the world’s first superhero, and they identify with the funny antics of Bal Hanuman that involves action, drama and comedy.

Anurag Kashyap has a reputation for making only dark and serious movies and has said the transition to lighthearted movies has not been easy and that he made many mistakes but had the time to correct them. He plans to make another animation movie, this time entertaining for kids and adults alike. The film had a thumbs-up from Bollywood director Nagesh Kuckunoor, who was impressed with the idea of Gods being accessible and contemporary as per the needs of the times. He says that although kids and adults worship deities, they are always thrilled with the possibility of God being among them. The Percept Picture Company has done the film’s preproduction work.

The attempt to drive home the message that nature needs to be protected has gone down well with Delhi kids. There were some children, however, who said that they found some portions of the movie somewhat unclear, whereas others felt that the animation quality fell short of their expectations.