Holywood

On August 7, a little-known film about spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba dropped in cinemas. It wasn’t even the first Hindi film of 2026 to feature him; Shree Baba Neeb Karori Maharaj came and went in May, creating nary a ripple. At first, Hanuman Ansh seemed headed the same way, making just Rs 90 lakh in its first week. By week two, only 27 cinema halls were showing it. Newcomers Vishal Chaturvedi and Shobhinaw Satyaa, the writer-director and lead actor, respectively, knew they had to do something to save the film from disappearing altogether. So, they embarked on a road trip, visiting Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi to meet the audiences watching the last few shows and urged them to spread the word. They did. By week three, Hanuman Ansh, much like the film’s protagonist, achieved a miracle, earning Rs 10 crore. And that was just the start. Two months after its release, Hanuman Ansh, made on a shoestring budget of Rs 1.7 crore, is still running in cinemas, and has grossed Rs 400 crore-plus so far.