Director Vishal Chaturvedi’s Hanuman Ansh, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, has emerged as a surprise success at the box office. The film’s devotional music has also caught the attention of audiences, with visually impaired Bundelkhandi folk singer Suneel Lodhi’s voice becoming one of its talking points.

Lodhi has sung “Maine Tere Hi Bharose” for the film. In a recent Doordarshan interview, he spoke about his journey from singing bhajans in his village to getting an opportunity to record for a Hindi film.

Lodhi said he has been visually impaired since childhood. “I have not been able to see since childhood.”

He also revealed that he never received formal training in music. “I never received any formal training and I don’t have a coach. It was through the grace of revered Lata ji that I kept listening to her songs. I would then sing at devotional gatherings in the village.”

Lodhi later started posting Bundeli folk songs and bhajans on a social media page dedicated to Bundeli content. He said one song he uploaded in 2019 received a lot of support from viewers.

“I had a page dedicated to Bundeli, so I started putting reels on it. In 2019, I uploaded a Bundeli folk song, and the audience supported it immensely. That song received a lot of support from fans. After that, I went to Mumbai, where I met Vishal Chaturvedi sir. I then became a part of Hanuman Ansh.”

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‘More Sankat Ke Kataiya’ gave Suneel Lodhi an identity

Before Hanuman Ansh, Lodhi’s voice had already reached a much larger audience through the traditional Bundeli Hanuman bhajan “More Sankat Ke Kataiya”. The song, released by Pankaj VRK Production, has become a major online hit and has been viewed more than 30 million times.

Lodhi recalled how the song came about after an encounter with members of his audience on a train in Jhansi.

“I was in Jhansi at one time and met my Bundeli audience on the train. I had come back after recording, and they saw my tanpura. They asked me to sing something, so I sang More Sankat Ke Kataiya. It became more popular. Then Pankaj VRK recorded it. That bhajan gave me an identity.”

The song eventually brought Lodhi to the attention of music producer Pankaj VRK, who helped take his music to Mumbai. Lodhi subsequently recorded several songs, one of which eventually became part of Hanuman Ansh.

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‘Hanuman ji has blessed me’

Lodhi said his growing popularity has also changed the way people around him treat him.

“That is how things are in villages—what is visible gets noticed. People who earlier used to turn their faces away while speaking to me now talk to me with a smile. It feels good. I think, at least, Hanuman ji has blessed me in some way.”

He believes the success of his music is ultimately because of Hanuman.

“This is 100% Hanuman ji’s miracle.”

Lodhi also compared the journey of “More Sankat Ke Kataiya” with that of Hanuman Ansh, saying both took time to find an audience.

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“More Sankat Ke Kataiya was also in the same situation as the movie. Our movie struggled for at least two weeks. This song also received no response for one-and-a-half months. There were only 3,000 views. Suddenly, after one reel, it received a lot of love from the audience.”

Hanuman Ansh also had a slow start before its fortunes changed. The film opened in theatres on August 7 and initially recorded modest numbers, but its collections grew significantly in the following weeks. Made on a budget of Rs 2 crore, the film has collected Rs 97.99 crore till now.

Suneel Lodhi wants to sing more devotional songs

With his voice now reaching audiences through cinema, Lodhi hopes to continue working on devotional projects.

“I would like to get opportunities to work in shows and movies that are inspired by Hanuman ji, where there are bhajans and religious elements. I would love to sing in them.”

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About Hanuman Ansh

Hanuman Ansh is based on the life and teachings of spiritual saint Neem Karoli Baba. Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, the film stars Shobhinaw Satyaa, Chandan Anand, Purnima Tiwari and Vihaan Shedge in key roles. The film’s music has been composed by Sadhu Sushil Tiwari. Chaturvedi has also produced the film along with Namrata G. Singh, Anupriya Nagar and Ragini Sona.