Cinema VinesIn a striking turn of events at the Indian box office, the devotional drama Hanuman Ansh has surged to the top spot in its sixth week, surpassing newer releases and cementing its place as the smallest film to cross the ₹200 crore threshold. The film, which chronicles the life and teachings of spiritual mentor Neem Karoli Baba, has now amassed a domestic net gross of ₹205 crore, a figure that matches its worldwide earnings as it has yet to open overseas.
Produced on a modest budget of just ₹2 crore, Hanuman Ansh began its theatrical run on a bleak note, earning a mere ₹10 lakh on opening day and accumulating only ₹1.48 crore in its first fortnight. However, word of mouth began to build, and by the 16th day in theatres the film experienced a significant uptick. Subsequent weeks saw record‑breaking earnings: ₹61 crore in the fourth week, ₹90 crore in the fifth week, and a Friday haul of ₹10.50 crore in the sixth week, bringing the domestic total to ₹174 crore net.
With no overseas release to date, the film’s worldwide gross remains identical to its domestic figure. This milestone makes Hanuman Ansh the smallest Indian production to achieve a ₹200 crore worldwide haul, eclipsing even the 2019 hit The Kashmir Files, which grossed ₹15 crore. The film’s success story has been highlighted by Deputy Editor Abhimanyu Mathur of the Hindustan Times, who noted the remarkable rise of an underdog in the competitive market.
Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, the narrative follows Lakshminarayan, a young man grieving his mother’s death, who embarks on a spiritual quest across North India. His journey leads him to become the revered saint Neem Karoli Baba. The cast features Shobhinaw Satyaa in the lead role, supported by Vihaan Shedge, Chandan K Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi, Gulshan Pandey, and Bhagvandas Patel.
In its latest week, Hanuman Ansh outperformed contemporaries such as Mirzapur: The Movie and the new release Haiwaan, with a Friday net of ₹10.50 crore surpassing the ₹9.50 crore earned by Mirzapur. The Priyadarshan‑directed film starring Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar opened to a modest ₹3 crore, further highlighting the unexpected dominance of Hanuman Ansh in the current box‑office landscape.
