‘Hanuman Ansh’ has turned into a surprise box office winner, raking in Rs 61 crore net in India over 27 days since its release. Interestingly, before the spiritual drama made its way to theatres, director Vishal Chaturvedi faced a rejection that, in hindsight, pushed him to move forward with the story of Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj Ji. Vishal recently opened up about pitching the project to an OTT platform, revealing that he got emotional while narrating the story during the meeting.

Vishal Chaturvedi recalls breaking down during the pitch

In an interview with India TV, Vishal shared, “I had gone to pitch my story on an OTT platform, and there they told me that I have an Indian story with international relevance. I narrated Maharaj Ji’s story in such a way that I literally broke down.” What lingered with him, though, was the manner in which his project was turned down. He described the language used in the rejection as “derogatory” and felt it pushed him to take on and dismantle what he saw as a flawed narrative. “Mujhe laga jis tarah unhone reject kiya, jis bhaasha ka prayog kiya, woh thodi derogatory thi. The way they said it, I felt that the narrative in their mind, the way they rejected it, there is a hole in their mind through the narrative. Now it is necessary to bust that narrative,” he said.

Vishal Chaturvedi on rejection being part of a filmmaker’s journey

Vishal further noted that rejection was hardly a new experience for filmmakers, pointing out that pitching stories that ultimately don’t get picked up is simply part of the process, the real issue, in his view, lies in how that rejection is delivered. “We are filmmakers, we have been rejected a thousand times. You narrate a story and if you don’t understand it, you say that it is good, but we will do it later,” he said.

Hanuman Ansh’s box office journey so far

‘Hanuman Ansh’ had a quiet start when it released in theatres on August 7, pulling in just Rs 10 lakh on its opening day. According to Sacnilk, the film’s first-week total stood at Rs 1.08 crore, which grew by another Rs 40 lakh in week two. Things picked up dramatically in the third week, though, with collections jumping to Rs 10.40 crore.

About Hanuman Ansh’s cast and details

The movie, written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, is a spiritual drama centred on the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba. The film stars Shobhinaw Satyaa as Neem Karoli Baba, with Vihaan Shedge taking on the role of Maharaj Ji at a different stage of the narrative. Rounding out the cast are Chandan Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil K Rastogi, and Gulshan Pandey. The film runs for two hours and 30 minutes and carries a U certificate.