CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The film 'Hanuman Ansh', based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, is performing far better than expected at the box office. Released on August 7, 2026, the spiritual film built a strong connect with audiences after a slow start, and its India net collection has now crossed ₹80 crore. The film’s director, Vishal Chaturvedi, has now opened up about his experience when an OTT platform did not accept his story.
Vishal Chaturvedi said that before making the film, he had taken his story to a major OTT platform. There, he narrated the story of Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj Ji. According to the director, he became emotional and broke down while narrating the story. Chaturvedi said the manner in which the story was rejected felt insulting to him. According to him, rejecting the film was one thing, but the language and approach used in the response hurt him deeply.
The director said Maharaj Ji’s story was not just a film subject for him. He became emotional while narrating it. The response from the OTT platform did disappoint him, but he did not consider it the end of his journey. According to Vishal Chaturvedi, filmmakers often have to face rejection. He believes that if a platform does not like a story, it can simply say that it cannot take it up at the moment, but an insulting attitude towards a story or its subject is not appropriate.
After the disappointment from OTT, 'Hanuman Ansh' was released in theatres. Initially, the film drew very few viewers. Its first-day earnings were around ₹10 lakh, and in the early phase it also received limited shows. But from the third week, the picture began to change. Positive audience response and word-of-mouth publicity led to an increase in shows, and collections rose sharply. Now, according to Aaj Tak, the film’s India net collection has reached ₹81.41 crore and its India gross collection has reached ₹96.03 crore.
'Hanuman Ansh' is a spiritual drama based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba. Shobhinav Satya plays Maharaj Ji in the film, which has been directed by Vishal Chaturvedi.
The film’s biggest distinction has been that it did not initially have the backing of a big star or heavy promotion. Even so, discussion around the film kept growing among audiences, and demand for it in theatres continued to strengthen. Other reports have also mentioned the film’s budget at around ₹2 crore.
After its strong theatrical performance, audiences now want to know which OTT platform 'Hanuman Ansh' will release on. The discussion around its OTT release has become even more interesting because the director has already shared his experience of the story being rejected by one platform.
For now, official information related to the film’s digital release is awaited. Meanwhile, its continuing theatrical earnings remain a subject of discussion.
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