Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Hanuman Ansh Success Links Neem Karoli Baba With Apple
Hanuman Ansh is a small-budget film about the Indian spiritual teacher Neem Karoli Baba.
At first, many people thought the film would fail.
Then it became very popular and earned more than Rs 100 crore.
The film’s producer learned about Neem Karoli Baba while researching Apple founder Steve Jobs.
Jobs visited India in the 1970s because he was searching for deeper answers about life.
He did not meet the baba, who had already died, but he traveled around India and was influenced by the experience.
The article says Jobs later valued intuition, experience and simplicity.
Apple is now making more iPhones in India, which the author presents as an interesting return to a place that influenced Jobs.
The article also says the story connecting Apple’s logo to the baba’s love of apples is unproven.
Hanuman Ansh, made for less than Rs 2 crore, has surpassed Rs 100 crore at the box office.
The film’s director says Indian OTT platforms rejected the project and used language he considered derogatory.
Producer Anupriya Nagar discovered Neem Karoli Baba’s connection to Steve Jobs while researching technology founders.
Steve Jobs visited India in the 1970s seeking enlightenment, but Neem Karoli Baba had already died.
Apple is shifting production from China to India, assembling about 55 million iPhones there in 2025 compared with 36 million in 2024.
- Who
- The film Hanuman Ansh, director Vishal Chaturvedi, producer Anupriya Nagar, Steve Jobs, Neem Karoli Baba and Apple are central to the article.
- What
- Hanuman Ansh became an unexpected box-office success while renewing attention on Neem Karoli Baba’s connection with Steve Jobs and Apple.
- When
- Hanuman Ansh’s breakthrough occurred in its third week; Steve Jobs visited India in the 1970s, and Apple was founded on April 1, 1976.
- Where
- The film’s story and the spiritual connection are rooted in India; Jobs later returned to the United States, while Apple is expanding production in India.
- Why
- The article attributes the film’s success to its honest spiritual story and presents Apple’s growing Indian manufacturing presence as a later return to a country that influenced Jobs.
Article’s Interpretation
Cautions And Skepticism
Apple’s India connection
Article’s Interpretation
The article argues that Steve Jobs’ Indian experience helped shape Apple’s emphasis on intuition, experiential wisdom and simplicity, and that Apple’s growing Indian production reflects a meaningful return.
Cautions And Skepticism
The article acknowledges that the claim linking Apple’s bitten-apple logo to Neem Karoli Baba’s partially eaten apples may or may not be true.
OTT rejection of Hanuman Ansh
Article’s Interpretation
Director Vishal Chaturvedi says OTT platforms rejected not only the film but also appeared to dismiss its premise in derogatory language.
Cautions And Skepticism
The article does not provide the platforms’ responses or independent evidence explaining why they rejected the film.
- Film
- Hanuman Ansh
- Subject
- Indian sant Neem Karoli Baba
- Production budget
- Less than Rs 2 crore
- Box-office earnings
- More than Rs 100 crore
- Apple founding date
- April 1, 1976
- iPhone production in India
- About 55 million units in 2025, up from 36 million in 2024
- Production shift
- The article says Apple is increasingly shifting production from China to India.