How Neem Karoli Baba biopic 'Hanuman Ansh' became a surprise hit

The frugally-made movie has earned Rs 125 crore already. The USP isn't filmmaking or being an exaggerated hagiography but simplicity, just like the life of its protagonistThe records they keep tumbling. The fervour around a biopic on a spiritual guru refuses to die down. Hanuman Ansh has taken the box office by storm and the nation by surprise.Released with little fanfare on August 7, the film took a life of its own from fourth week onwards. Yash’s Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups fell flat with audiences, and it was faith instead that drew masses—particularly in North and West—to cinemas. And they continue to come in droves.Made on an estimated budget of Rs 2 crore and featuring newcomer Shobhinaw Satyaa, Hanuman Ansh has thus far garnered Rs 125 crore, with around Rs 55 crore out of it coming in the ongoing week five alone. No film has possibly hit that mark in fifth week. That it is a small film made by a group of industry outsiders—essentially devotees of spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba—makes its achievements all the more impressive. So what is it about the drama that continues to draw people in?Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, the film takes a straightforward approach to the life of Lakshmi Narayan Sharma aka Neem Karoli Baba. It takes audiences from his childhood days—when at around age 12 he began meditating and adopted the life of an ascetic—to his many travels and subsequent growing following as he became known for his clairvoyant abilities. Hanuman Ansh runs through some of the significant episodes from Neem Karoli Baba’s life, predominantly focusing on the legends around his miracles and the lives he impacted in the process. The film doesn’t come across as an exaggerated hagiography. The intent here is not to spellbind with filmmaking but by the figure itself. Its USP is much like its protagonist: rooted in simplicity. The film’s primary objective is to acquaint audiences with the guru’s teachings and powers. In Satyaa, it has an actor who smiles his way through any insult or adversity or situation.The no-frills, almost didactic approach means followers are glad to see all the Neem Karoli Baba anecdotes they have long heard play out on the big screen. Those walking in with little knowledge and more curiosity would not only find themselves acquainted with Neem Karoli Baba’s existence but also wondering how many more episodes/encounters are left to go.Regardless of one’s opinion on its quality as a film, what Hanuman Ansh has done is struck a chord by espousing the values and beliefs of an ordinary man whose frugal lifestyle and admirable values would gradually make him extraordinary. In a world of Wild Wild Country (a documentary on godman Rajneesh in the US), web series Ashram and even MSG: The Messenger of God films, Hanuman Ansh seems like an antidote, an anomaly even as it focuses on the inherent goodness of a man without making him to be a larger-than-life superhero.Given the unprecedented success, the question now: will it spark a trend wherein others may be tempted to give their spiritual leaders a cinematic treatment? We will only know by next year. For now, though, the audiences are enraptured by the teachings of Neem Karoli Baba. After all, nothing sells better than faith.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsPublished By: Shyam BalasubramanianPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 19:53 IST