Hanuman Ansh opened with just ₹10 lakh at the box office. Fifty days later, the spiritual biopic has crossed ₹414 crore worldwide on a production budget of about ₹2 crore. That kind of run usually sends producers hunting for a bigger cheque. But Anupriya Nagar, the film’s producer, wants the sequel to stay lean.
In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, Nagar said the second part should be made on a budget similar to the first, not inflated simply because the first film became a phenomenon.
A small film with a long tail
Directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh follows the early life of Lakshmi Narayan, a young boy in pre-Independence India who leaves home after his mother’s death to search for God, and eventually becomes Neem Karoli Baba. Shobhinaw Satyaa and Chandan Anand lead the cast.
The film released on August 7 and had a muted opening. Positive word-of-mouth changed its trajectory in the second week, and it has now completed a 50-day theatrical run.
- Reported budget: ₹2 crore
- Opening day: ₹10 lakh
- Worldwide gross: ₹414 crore
- India net: over ₹300 crore
Why the sequel is not chasing a bigger number
Nagar’s logic is simple: money does not automatically improve a story. “Simply investing ₹10 crore or ₹20 crore would not necessarily make the film better,” she told Dainik Bhaskar. “It could even lead to unnecessary use of VFX or AI, which the story may not require, and that could affect its authenticity.”
She argued that the period world matters as much as the characters. The landscape, visual texture, atmosphere and texture of the time are part of the film’s appeal. She added that the team would raise the budget if the next story genuinely needs it, but not as an automatic sequel upgrade.
The Neem Karoli Baba universe grows
The film’s success has already prompted Sony Entertainment Television and SonyLIV to announce a series based on Neem Karoli Baba’s life. A promo promised “miraculous tales from the life of the man whose stories captivated the nation.” The makers have not revealed the cast, premiere date or episode count yet.
What it means for movie lovers
Hanuman Ansh is a useful counterpoint to the idea that bigger budgets create bigger moments. Audiences rewarded a story-led film, not spectacle. If the sequel keeps that discipline, it protects the reason the first film worked: the world felt lived-in and authentic.
If you missed the theatrical run, the expanding universe gives two ways back in: the sequel, and the new SonyLIV series. Watch this space for cast and date announcements.
Source: Hindustan Times
