Hanuman Ansh: Man playing Neem Karoli Baba wasn't an actor. Then miracle happened

"One day I was an assistant director on the film, and the next morning I was playing the lead character." That's how Shobinaw Satyaa described the strangest turn of his career in an exclusive interview with India Today during the release of Hanuman Ansh , That switch happened so fast he barely had time to be nervous about it, and one that's since turned Hanuman Ansh into one of the year's more unlikely box-office stories.The casting story is not short of a mirable itself. Satyaa, who plays Neem Karoli Baba in Hanuman Ansh, said his journey with the film began much earlier than expected, when he was working on it as the second assistant director. He was handling props and other duties when the actor originally cast in the lead fell ill. Director Vishal Chaturvedi then decided to test Satyaa for the role and eventually cast him.Speaking to India Today, Satyaa opened up about the making of Hanuman Ansh, the team’s research into Neem Karoli Baba’s life and spirituality, and some of the unusual experiences they had while making the film. Made on a reported budget of Rs 1.80 crore, the film has earned more than Rs 45 crore at the box office. Satyaa’s performance has also drawn praise from viewers, many of whom have commented on his resemblance to Baba, also known as, Maharaj Ji.Satyaa said the change happened almost overnight. He said that when the original lead actor suddenly fell ill, Chaturvedi decided filming could not be stopped because the set was ready, many people had already arrived and everyone had already put in considerable effort. Satyaa admitted he was anxious about whether audiences would accept him in the role. “At that time I was thinking like a journalist. I kept wondering what would happen if people did not accept me. What if people thought, what have they done, whom have they made Baba? All this was going on in my mind,” he said.He said Chaturvedi then put him through a five-hour test. “I kept thinking, what will happen? What will the world say? But director sir calmed me down. He told me that thinking about all this was not my responsibility, but his. It happened very suddenly and I was blank,” Satyaa said during a conversation with AajTak. And Satyaa himself looked back at his casting as a miracle story. Describing his unexpected casting in spiritual terms, he said, “When some divine power is writing a story for you, you do not need to use your mind too much. You only need to surrender. Babaji, you have done this, and whatever happens will be right."Satyaa added that he has been a devotee of Neem Karoli Baba since 2009 and has followed a spiritual way of life for several years. In 2018, he also began observing a Tuesday fast for Lord Hanuman and adopted a vegetarian lifestyle. He said it now feels as though Baba had been preparing him for the role years before he knew he would play it. For Satyaa, playing Neem Karoli Baba was not simply about studying the character. He said he relied on Chaturvedi’s years of research while also bringing elements of his own personality to the performance. According to Satyaa, the director encouraged him to retain his natural way of speaking, laughing and interacting with people.Chaturvedi also agreed with viewers who noticed Satyaa’s resemblance to Neem Karoli Baba. Speaking to Aaj Tak, the director said the team had taken Satyaa’s picture during his trial, and that the resemblance was one of the reasons he decided to cast him.Hanuman Ansh was released in cinemas on August 7, 2026, and continues to run in theatres. Satyaa said the film has something for audiences across generations. “I cannot even begin to tell you how much there is to learn from this film. There is something in it for children, something for older people and something for every generation," he said.Satyaa’s unexpected journey from second assistant director to lead actor, after an impromptu five-hour test, has become one of the most striking stories from the making of Hanuman Ansh.- EndsPublished By: shweta keshriPublished On: Sep 1, 2026 16:06 IST