What started as an almost unnoticed theatrical release has turned into one of the most surprising box-office stories of 2026. ‘Hanuman Ansh’, a devotional film inspired by the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba, has crossed the Rs 200 crore mark in India, despite reportedly being made on a budget of just Rs 2 crore. Its India gross now stands at around Rs 205.15 crore, while the film has collected Rs 173.63 crore net.

From Rs 10 lakh opening to Rs 200 crore

Directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, ‘Hanuman Ansh’ opened in theatres on August 7 with a modest Rs 10 lakh on its first day. Its first week ended with just Rs 1.08 crore, and the film continued to struggle during its initial run.

The turnaround came around its third week, when word of mouth began bringing more viewers to theatres. The film's collections then picked up dramatically, with its fourth week alone contributing around Rs 61 crore. On its 36th day, Friday, September 11, ‘Hanuman Ansh’ earned Rs 10.50 crore, marking a five percent increase from the previous day. It recorded an overall occupancy of around 38 per cent across 5,743 shows.

The film has also been competing with much bigger releases. Its latest Friday collection was higher than ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’, which reportedly earned Rs 9.50 crore that day, while the new release ‘Haiwaan’ opened considerably lower.

‘Hanuman Ansh 2’ is already in the works

The box-office success has also opened the door for another chapter. Chaturvedi has confirmed that a sequel is being developed, with the next film expected to explore more of Neem Karoli Baba's life and spiritual journey.

According to the director, the story will move through places connected to Baba, including Firozabad, his birthplace, followed by Agra and Mathura. The project was reportedly conceived as part of a larger trilogy from the beginning.

There has also been speculation about possible celebrity appearances in the sequel, including Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. However, their involvement has not been officially confirmed.

What is ‘Hanuman Ansh’ about?

The film follows Lakshminarayan, a young man who sets out on a spiritual search after losing his mother. His journey across North India eventually leads him towards a life of devotion and spiritual transformation, culminating in his emergence as Neem Karoli Baba.

The film stars Shobhinaw Satyaa in the central role, alongside Chandan K Anand, Vihaan Shedge, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi, Gulshan Pandey and Bhagvandas Patel.

Hanuman Ansh has turned into an extraordinary sleeper hit, proving that a film does not necessarily need a major star or a huge opening to find a theatrical audience.