Cinema VinesAt just 21, Anupriya Nagar poured every penny she had earned from part‑time jobs in the UK into her debut film, Hanuman Ansh, despite lacking any filmmaking background. A University of Bath economics graduate who had worked in Zurich before returning to India in 2025, Nagar became a co‑producer of the project after deciding she wanted to bring the stories of Maharaj ji (Neem Karoli Baba) to a Gen‑Z audience. “I feel like age is just a number,” she says, adding that her focus was on sharing the saint’s teachings rather than chasing financial gain.
Nagar admitted that the decision was risky, explaining that she had saved the money she earned over three years of study and part‑time work. “I didn’t know what I could contribute because I had not done filmmaking, but I was ready to give my heart and soul to it,” she recalls. She added that her family, initially worried about her lack of industry experience, eventually supported her after she explained the noble subject matter.
Hanuman Ansh opened on 300 screens, saw a sharp drop to 30 screens by its eighth day, but later expanded to over 1,500 screens and is now releasing internationally. The film has crossed the ₹100 crore mark, a milestone that Nagar says proves audiences are eager for spiritually themed content. “My box office is people knowing about Maharaj ji,” she notes, emphasizing that the collections demonstrate a genuine interest in such stories.
The movie concludes with a promise of a sequel, and Nagar is committed to making it happen. “We are not going to dishearten our viewers. Maharaj ji has given us so much in abundance regarding the box office, so we don’t have a choice but to make this,” she says. She also vows to preserve the simplicity that made the first film resonate, noting that the original was made on a ₹2 crore budget and that a higher budget could have diluted its raw appeal.
With a clear vision to keep the sequel as straightforward and heartfelt as its predecessor, Anupriya Nagar plans to continue telling Maharaj ji’s legacy to a new generation while maintaining the low‑budget ethos that helped the first film succeed.
