At 21, producer Anupriya Nagar put all her savings to get Hanuman Ansh released: ‘I felt a strong emotional connection’

Hanuman Ansh, based on the life and teachings of spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba, has earned ₹200 crore at the box office.

There was hardly any noise around Hanuman Ansh when it was released in theatres in August. However, positive word of mouth ensured that the devotional drama about the life and legacy of spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba grew stronger in the next few days. The film has now crossed ₹200 crore at the box office.

Anupriya Nagar spoke about the decision to produce Hanuman Ansh.

Anupriya Nagar on Hanuman Ansh

The 21-year-old producer of Hanuman Ansh movie, Anupriya Nagar spoke to news agency ANI about the film at Uttar Pradesh. She said, “.Three women have produced this film, and I am the youngest. I joined during post-production. The team told me that the film had been made, but they did not have the funds for post-production. I put all my savings into this film because I felt a strong emotional connection to it. It is a very emotional project for me.”

She went on to add, "Maharaji (Neem Karoli Baba) inspired so many foreigners, such as Larry Brilliant and Steve Jobs, but very few people in India know about Maharaj Ji. I want people to know his life story and visit his ashram. There is also a misconception that the entire film was produced by me, which is not true. I contributed one-third of the entire budget. Yes, we have recovered the money we invested, and the film is also doing well. The entire team believe that this is nothing but a miracle of Maharaj Ji that the film is doing so well..."

About Hanuman Ansh

Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh features an ensemble cast, with Chandan Anand and Shobhinav Satyaa in the lead roles. The film was made on a shoestring budget of ₹2 crore and released in theatres without much fanfare on August 7.

The film traces the life of Lakshman Das and how he found spiritualism, transforming into Neem Karoli Baba. It follows the spiritual leader's journey from age 13 to the point where he came to be loved and revered. The film's writer-director is a doctor-turned-filmmaker. It is produced by Swambhu Media Network Pvt. Ltd., Ragini S, Namrata G S, and Anupriya A Nagar. Hanuman Ansh is currently running in theatres.

Baba Neem Karoli was born around 1900 in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad district and died in 1973. He was married early and became a wandering hermit. His devotees include famous names such as Julia Roberts, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg also reportedly visited his ashram in Kainchi Dham in the hill state.