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Hanuman Ansh Director Revisits OTT Rejection After Box Office Success
Hanuman Ansh is a film about the spiritual teacher Neem Karoli Baba.
Its director, Vishal Chaturvedi, first tried to pitch the story to an OTT platform.
The platform rejected it while describing it as an Indian story with international relevance.
Chaturvedi felt the rejection used disrespectful language.
He decided that this made the story even more important to tell.
The film opened quietly but later became more successful.
Good word-of-mouth helped it earn Rs 61 crore in India within 27 days.
Shobhinaw Satyaa plays Neem Karoli Baba in the film.
Hanuman Ansh has earned Rs 61 crore domestically within 27 days of release.
Director Vishal Chaturvedi said an OTT platform rejected the film’s story as Indian with international relevance.
Chaturvedi described the platform’s language and rejection as derogatory and said it motivated him to challenge that narrative.
The film opened with Rs 10 lakh on August 7 before gaining momentum through word-of-mouth.
Hanuman Ansh is a 2-hour-30-minute U-certified spiritual drama inspired by Neem Karoli Baba’s life and teachings.
- Who
- Director Vishal Chaturvedi and the cast of Hanuman Ansh, including Shobhinaw Satyaa and Vihaan Shedge.
- What
- Hanuman Ansh reached Rs 61 crore in domestic collections, while its director discussed the film’s earlier OTT rejection.
- Where
- The film’s collections were recorded at the domestic Indian box office, and the OTT pitch took place on an unnamed platform.
- When
- The film opened on August 7 and reached Rs 61 crore after 27 days; the director’s comments were reported recently.
- Why
- Chaturvedi said he wanted to tell Neem Karoli Baba’s story and challenge what he viewed as a flawed narrative behind the rejection.
Key facts
- Domestic collection
- Rs 61 crore after 27 days
- Opening day
- Rs 10 lakh on August 7
- Week-one collection
- Rs 1.08 crore, according to trade tracker Sacnilk
- Third-week collection
- Rs 10.40 crore
- Subject
- The life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba, also known as Maharaj Ji
- Runtime
- 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Certification
- U certificate
Quotes
Vishal Chaturvedi
Director and writer of Hanuman Ansh
“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.”
NDTV
“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.”
NDTV
Sources
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