The film had to compete with big-star releases such as Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2, Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947, and South superstar Yash's Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups. Despite facing competition from these major releases, Hanuman Ansh managed to attract audiences and eventually emerged ahead as a surprise success.

Made on a budget of around ₹2 crore, the film opened with a collection of approximately ₹10 lakh on its first day. Although the beginning was slow, discussions around the film gradually increased among audiences. Strong word of mouth worked in its favour, leading to a steady rise in collections. The film is now heading towards the ₹150 crore club.

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Despite its small budget, the film's impressive performance has made it one of the surprise hits of 2026. What makes Hanuman Ansh even more special is that it reached audiences not because of a big star, but because of its story and subject.

Story, acting, and direction all play an important role in making a film successful. However, Hanuman Ansh has another interesting aspect—the same person has written and directed the film. So, who exactly is doctor Vishal Chaturvedi, and how did the idea of bringing Neem Karoli Baba's story to the big screen come to him?

From Doctor to Filmmaker

Vishal Chaturvedi's journey is as interesting as the film itself. He completed his MBBS from Gorakhpur in 2006 and worked in the medical profession. However, over time, his interest shifted towards content creation and filmmaking. For around 14 years, he worked across different areas, including content creation, filmmaking, and cooking.

He has worked as a writer, researcher, chef, filmmaker, and businessman. He also founded The Indian Thing and Holy Cow Home Productions. For Vishal, Hanuman Ansh was not just another film but an attempt to bring a story that had remained close to him for years to the big screen.

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Advised Against a Theatrical Release

Before Hanuman Ansh reached theatres, Vishal Chaturvedi and the makers received several suggestions. Some people advised them not to release the film in theatres and instead sell it to an OTT platform to recover their investment. They were also told that since another film on the same subject had already been made and failed, this film might face a similar fate.

However, Vishal Chaturvedi and his producer had already decided to release the film theatrically. Their belief was simple—if a film is not released in theatres, there is no real way to assess its success with the audience.

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Rejection From an OTT Platform

Visal revealed in a conversation that he had approached an OTT platform with another story. There, he was asked whether he had an Indian story with international relevance. He then narrated the story of Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj Ji, in an emotional manner. However, the way the story was rejected and the language used during the conversation felt insulting to him.

According to Vishal, he felt that the people he spoke to had a particular narrative about the subject, and he believed that this narrative needed to be challenged. Eventually, he decided to take the story to the big screen with even greater determination.

And finally, Vishal Chaturvedi's hard work paid off. Despite several challenges and a slow start, Hanuman Ansh won the audience's hearts and went on to become a major blockbuster.

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The success of Hanuman Ansh has given writer-director Vishal Chaturvedi a new identity. Work on the film's upcoming parts is also underway, with Shobhinaw Satyaa and Purnima Tiwari among the actors expected to continue the story. The success of the film has also opened a new chapter in Vishal Chaturvedi's filmmaking journey.