Vishal Chaturvedi’s blockbuster devotional film Hanuman Ansh, based on spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba, has already become one of the most profitable Indian films in recent memory. After 37 days at the worldwide box office, the movie has grossed more than 118 times its modest budget of less than Rs 2 crore. It has amassed over Rs 236 crore worldwide so far, with no streaming release date in sight.

When is Hanuman Ansh releasing on OTT?

Hanuman Ansh will have to wait at least 19 more days before it can arrive on a streaming platform, given the mandatory eight-week window between the theatrical and OTT releases of Hindi films. But there’s been no clarity on its exact OTT release date. Even co-producer Ragini Sona has dismissed the recent rumours of the makers signing a massive deal worth Rs 100 crore.

“It’s all rumours. Please don’t pay attention to it. oday, how many people are watching the film matters. What offer we are getting or what offer the platform is giving, nobody cares about it. We want you guys to watch the film in theatres, and praise it and love it. The audience is only promoting the film. I’ve never seen this. This is really Neem Karoli Baba’s miracle,” Sona told .

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The Neem Karoli Baba biopic, which features Shobhinaw Satyaa as the revered spiritual guru, released in cinemas last month on August 7. Since it could only secure 25 screens across India initially, it managed to earn only less than Rs 2 crore in the first two weeks. However, the film picked up momentum in its third week, crossing the Rs 1 crore daily mark for the first time on its third Sunday, when it earned Rs 2.50 crore.

The trajectory and pace only went up from there, as Hanuman Ansh collected Rs 10.40 crore in week 3, Rs 61 crore in week 4, and over Rs 90 crore in week 5. By its sixth weekend, the film has amassed over Rs 227 crore gross and over Rs 192 crore net at the domestic box office. It also released overseas this past Friday on September 11, earning Rs 9.50 crore in just two days so far.

When OTT platforms rejected Hanuman Ansh

Interestingly, writer-director Vishal Chaturvedi revealed last month that he was advised not to release Hanuman Ansh in cinemas, but instead focus on recovering the investment through a streaming deal. “My producers and I had already made up our minds about releasing the film in the theatres. If you don’t release a film in theatres, there is no way of gauging its success,” reasoned Chaturvedi.

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In another interview, Chaturvedi revealed he did approach a few streaming platforms to pitch Hanuman Ansh to them. However, he was left disappointed by their manner of response. “I felt that the way they rejected the story, the kind of language they used, I found it to be derogatory. The way they said it, I felt that the narrative in their mind is filled with garbage, and now it is necessary to bust that narrative,” the filmmaker told .