The Hanuman Ansh actor who found his 'satvik meal' after 15 years of gangster roles

For over 15 years, actor Chandan Anand has inhabited worlds of violence, crime, gangsters and conflict across projects such as Rangbaaz, Fighter, Class, Parched, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Homebound. But his latest film, Hanuman Ansh, took him somewhere completely different. In Hanuman Ansh, Anand plays Ram Nandan Bhosle, an HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association) revolutionary whose encounter with Neem Karoli Baba becomes a turning point in his life.For Anand, the role was a significant departure from the violent characters he had played for years. He described the experience as “having a satvik (pure) meal” — a story that felt like nourishment for the mind and soul rather than another murder mystery or violent drama.“I feel for the last 10-15 years we have all been seeing a kind of cinema and I have been performing in violent stories, murder mysteries, gangster films, but now performing in a spiritual film is like having a satvik meal,” Anand said, adding “A satvik meal forms a great food for mind and soul and Hanuman Ansh does that aptly.”In an exclusive interview with India Today, the actor also opened up about how the film’s spiritual atmosphere began affecting him beyond the screen. When reel life met real lifeThe actor found that the film’s spiritual atmosphere did not remain confined to the screen. Director Vishal Chaturvedi maintained an unusual environment on set, where shouting, fighting and derogatory language were not allowed. For Anand, that became a way of making “the reel life and the real life into one.” He believes the approach helped create an environment in which the film could receive what he described as the blessings of higher powers.For Anand, however, the biggest change was not simply moving from crime stories to spirituality. It was the way his character began reflecting his own personality. Ram Nandan Bhosle is initially an atheist and a revolutionary associated with the HSRA, but his encounter with Baba gradually changes his outlook. Anand said that the rigidity and idealism he brought to Bhosle were not entirely constructed for the screen. “I can see and feel everything vividly now as I have lived the character and my journey in reel and real life. The character I played as a revolutionary is almost the same as me in real life,” he said."I am still in the process of transformation"Anand described himself as someone who has often been called an idealist, adamant, rigid and even impractical because of his belief that things should be done with good intentions and for the larger good of society. But playing Bhosle made him confront the gap between those ideals and the harsh realities of life.“Reality is too harsh and practical. Everyone is busy chasing their goals and are ready to go to any lengths to achieve them. I can see my entire approach to life changing after doing this character and film. I am still in the process of transformation,” he said.That personal churning appeared to be what made Hanuman Ansh different for Anand. The film approaches Neem Karoli Baba’s spiritual journey through his connection with ordinary people, making faith less about spectacle and more about service, compassion and everyday human relationships.Chandan Anand on playing the narratorAnand, who plays the narrator, approached that part with a similar sense of intimacy. He imagined himself telling the story to a grandson asking a simple question: “Who is Baba?” He wanted the narration to carry “calmness, softness and excitement,” evoking the feeling of stories told by grandparents at home.“The way the story and the scenes were written with pure intent takes you to the good old days of RK Narayan’s Malgudi Days, or stories shared by Nani-Dadi in our homes,” he said.The actor also remembered being surprised by how his role changed. He was initially offered the part of a police inspector, but after asking whether he could play the narrator, the role was changed when he reached the sets. Anand eventually found himself playing one of the film’s most pivotal characters after Baba."Sheer blessings of Hanuman Ji"He called the opportunity a matter of luck and blessings. His first exposure to Neem Karoli Baba, he revealed, came only around six months before shooting began. He had visited Baba’s temple, prayed for an opportunity to work in a film involving Hanuman Ji, and then received a call for Hanuman Ansh within six months.“Six months before shooting the film, I paid my visit to the temple to meet Baba and prayed for a film with Hanuman Ji in it and in six months I got a call for this film,” he said, adding, “Sheer blessings of Hanuman Ji.”The actor went on, "I am truly grateful to Vishal Chaturvedi, the director of this film. He has changed my life with the role he has offered me. He is a wonderful director and made my life better and happier."Why younger audiences connected with Hanuman AnshThe film’s appeal among younger audiences was another aspect that Anand saw through the lens of emotion rather than age. With Hanuman Ansh finding an audience beyond those traditionally associated with spiritual cinema, he believed that the film was working because it tapped into emotions that remain universal across generations.“We all have emotions, whether it’s Gen Z, Beta, Gamma. We all have nine emotions, and we are all living in lower emotions of fear, disgust, envy, anger. This film emotes your higher emotions of love, laughter, joy, peace, and you become a warrior like Hanuman Ji, so they are loving these emotions,” Anand said.A set built around the film’s spiritual valuesThat perspective also ties into his experience on Chaturvedi’s set. For Anand, the director’s insistence on maintaining a peaceful atmosphere was not simply a filmmaking gimmick. It was about respecting the craft and creating a space where the people making the film could live by the same values that the film was exploring.“That was incredible. It was basically respecting your work as a craftsman and letting the higher powers bless the project. It was like making the reel life and the real life into one,” Anand said. "I am in my best form as an actor"After years of playing characters surrounded by violence, Anand now finds himself in a phase where he feels more comfortable embracing contrasts. He pointed to his other recent work, including playing Shakuni in Hastinapur Ke Veer, as evidence of the range he is currently exploring.“I truly believe this is the best phase of my life as my physical body, mind and soul are in tune with each other and with the blessings of God, I get to create varied characters,” he said, adding, “I am in my best form as an actor and performer.”And if Anand gets to choose his next spiritual challenge, there is little ambiguity about what it would be. “Hanuman Ji as a superhero,” he said, when asked about his dream legendary character to play.Director Vishal Chaturvedi confirmed Hanuman Ansh 2 during an interaction with audiences in Agra. The sequel will turn to Neem Karoli Baba's birthplace and later spiritual journey.Hanuman Ansh theatrically released on August 7, 2026.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Sep 8, 2026 08:36 IST