‘Hanuman Ansh’, the low-budget devotional drama based on the life of spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba, continued its unlikely box office surge on day 37, collecting a net of Rs 18.50 crore across 7,449 shows, according to trade tracking website Sacnilk.
The single-day collection marked a jump of more than 76% over the previous day’s Rs 10.50 crore, pushing the film’s total India net collection to Rs 192.13 crore and its India gross to Rs 227 crore. Including overseas earnings of Rs 9.50 crore so far, the film’s worldwide gross now stands at Rs 236.50 crore, putting it within striking distance of the Rs 250 crore mark.
The film’s trajectory has been unusual by industry standards. It opened modestly in its first week, released on just 200 screens, and was not widely expected to become a major box office draw. Its reach has expanded steadily since then, growing from 400 screens in its third week to 850 in its fourth and roughly 2,500 screens by its fifth week, as word of mouth and audience interest built momentum over time.
Written, directed and produced by Vishal Chaturvedi under his banner Swambhu Media Network, ‘Hanuman Ansh’ is based on his own book, ‘Divine Detour: That Changed My Life’, and traces the early life of Lakshmi Narayan, a young boy in pre-Independence India who leaves home after his mother’s death in search of God, eventually transforming into the spiritual figure known as Neem Karoli Baba. The film stars Shobhinaw Satyaa and Chandan Anand in the lead roles, with a supporting cast including Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi and Vihaan Shedge. It is the first instalment of a planned trilogy and was reportedly made on a modest budget of around Rs 3 crore, inclusive of publicity and advertising costs.
