A little over three weeks after it opened to a muted response, Vishal Chaturvedi’s Hanuman Ansh has pulled off one of the year’s most surprising box-office turnarounds. The low-budget spiritual drama, made without a major star or a large promotional campaign, has now crossed the Rs 50 crore nett in India, riding on strong word of mouth. With the film continuing to draw audiences to theatres, Chaturvedi has confirmed that work on the film’s sequel has already begun.

Vishal Chaturvedi confirms Hanuman Ansh sequel

Hanuman Ansh ends with a slate suggesting that the story of Neem Karoli Baba is not yet complete, clearly pointing towards another chapter. Speaking to audiences during a recent interaction at a multiplex in Agra, Vishal Chaturvedi confirmed that the makers are already working on the second part.

The filmmaker said the next instalment will explore more significant chapters from Neem Karoli Baba’s life and spiritual journey. The story is expected to begin with Firozabad, his birthplace, before moving through Agra, Mathura and other places associated with him.

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A sequel was always part of the makers’ larger plan. When Hanuman Ansh was officially announced on February 20, 2026, the project was introduced as a trilogy. The spiritual saga is inspired by Chaturvedi’s book Divine Detour, with Shobhinaw Satyaa playing Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj-ji.

Kangana Ranaut says Hanuman Ansh is ‘not a movie; it’s a satsang’

Meanwhile, actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut praised Hanuman Ansh on Instagram. Sharing a picture of Neem Karoli Baba, whose life inspired the film, Kangana wrote, “#hanumanansh is not a movie; it’s a satsang, beautifully woven short stories of people who had first-hand experience of #neemkaroribaba. Skip your therapy and go watch it.”

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar had also earlier praised both the film and its unexpected success at the box office.

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“Witnessed pure cinematic magic watching #HanumanAnsh in the theatre the audience was completely glued to the screen! 🙌@filmervishal direction is wonderfully honest & tender, while actor Shobhinav Satya’s portrayal of Neem Karoli Baba is purely natural and flawless,” he wrote.

Bhandarkar further described the film as an important example for the industry, writing, “This small budget film with a non-star cast is a crucial case study for the entire Indian film industry. It proves that true conviction and powerful storytelling always triumph over massive budget films at the box office. My heartiest congratulations to the entire team the producers, actors, and technicians for their brilliant dedication, and a big thank you to the audience for making this incredible film a roaring blockbuster!”

From Rs 10 lakh opening to more than Rs 50 crore

Released on August 7, the film opened to just Rs 10 lakh. Its performance remained modest over the next two weeks, with collections hovering around Rs 1.4 crore to Rs 1.48 crore during that period.

Then word of mouth began to change the film’s fortunes.

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The third week brought a dramatic jump, with the film collecting around Rs 10.40 crore. Its momentum continued to build, and on day 17, Hanuman Ansh collected Rs 2.20 crore.

The film recorded its highest single-day collection of Rs 12.75 crore on day 24. Two days later, on its 26th day in theatres, the low-budget film earned Rs 8.50 crore — higher than the single-day collection of Yash’s much bigger release Toxic that day.

Hanuman Ansh has collected Rs 63.82 crore gross and Rs 54.13 crore net in India so far.

What is Hanuman Ansh about?

Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh draws inspiration from the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba, popularly known as Maharaj-ji.

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The official synopsis reads, “A grieving boy seeks God to meet his departed mother, and in finding the divine, learns to serve humanity with miracles of love, food and silent blessings, becoming Hanuman Ansh, Neem Karoli Baba.”

Along with Shobhinaw Satyaa, the film features Chandan Anand, Purnima Tiwari and Vihaan Shedge in key roles.