Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Hanuman Ansh has emerged as a surprise box-office success after a slow start. The film, which is now outpacing Kannada star Yash’s Toxic in its fourth week, has also sparked fresh conversation after director Vishal Chaturvedi said Bollywood did not support it before its release.
Speaking on a recent podcast with Raunac, Chaturvedi said the film’s rise was driven by audiences and positive word of mouth, even as theatres cut its shows in favour of bigger releases. He added that several people from the industry called to congratulate him only after the film began performing well.
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Chaturvedi said Hanuman Ansh saw a sharp fall in its screens and show count as exhibitors prioritised larger films, with the number of shows dropping from 250 to 25. He also said multiplex chains such as PVR and Cinepolis, especially at prime locations, were initially sceptical about screening the film.
Asked whether Bollywood had supported the film before its release, Chaturvedi laughed off the suggestion and said, “After the film started to do well, several people called me to congratulate me. I don’t want to name them. One of those who congratulated me was Madhur Bhandarkar, whom I had not asked for any support. However, I am not mentioning the others because I had sought help from those people, and they didn’t help me. Hence, I don’t want to name them for now, just because they are congratulating me.”
He added, “People discourage you, saying this content wouldn’t work, but mostly don’t know what is going to work, but yet they pass on their gyaan to others. The industry is filled with confused people. There are two sets of people, one who genuinely want to make films, and others who don’t have any passion and think filmmaking is something they should try.”
Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar later praised the film after watching it in a theatre. He said, “Witnessed pure cinematic magic watching #HanumanAnsh in the theatre the audience was completely glued to the screen! @filmervishal direction is wonderfully honest & tender, while actor Shobhinav Satya’s portrayal of Neem Karoli Baba is purely natural and flawless.”
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut also praised the film, calling it a “satsang“, and urged audiences to skip therapy and watch it in theatres.
Hanuman Ansh is written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi and is based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, popularly known as Maharaj ji. Its official synopsis reads, “A grieving boy seeks God to meet his departed mother, and in finding the divine, learns to serve humanity with miracles of love, food and silent blessings, becoming Hanuman Ansh, Neem Karoli Baba.”
The film earned Rs 10 lakh on its opening day, but gathered pace in its third week after positive word of mouth. It has so far reportedly collected Rs 72.88 crore in India, and a sequel has now been announced. From a slow opening and reduced shows to strong word of mouth and industry attention after release, Hanuman Ansh has continued to build momentum at the box office.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
