Hanuman Ansh actor Chandan K Anand on his spiritual journey and massive turnaround: Nobody expected this!

Reflecting on Hanuman Ansh's success, Chandan K Anand notes the film surpassed expectations after slow initial weeks.

Actor Chandan K Anand reflected on the unexpected success of the film Hanuman Ansh, noting how it surpassed even the team’s wildest aspirations, “We were convinced that it would be liked, but we were unaware that it would become so big; nobody in the team, including the makers, was expecting this turnaround, that too after it ran for two weeks of release. Kaun soch sakta hain yeh? I feel abhi shuru hua hain; it will go far because the festive season is around the corner.”

Chandan K Anand

Addressing the initial struggle of securing screen space against major releases, Anand noted the reality of the industry: “It’s no secret, we all know small films get less shows, less screens. It’s difficult to find a place, but this film found its way and proved that conviction in your story, characters can do wonders, magic,” he adds.

The actor, who appears as the narrator, also shared the serendipitous story of how he landed his role: “It was a small role I was initially offered. I arrived from Mumbai, but within a day of joining, it turned out that I got to be a full-fledged character of Ram Nandan Bhosle. I had no idea who was playing [it] earlier, but that actor didn’t turn up and I entered the shoot—no idea how we managed my dates and availability. It’s one of those roles that stays throughout the film and sets the narrative, and I am happy my work is reaching that far. That was my karma; Baba wanted this from me after giving acting years of hard work.”

Filming the story of Neem Karoli Baba required a unique atmosphere, with strict adherence to discipline and spirituality on set. “Yes, it was a completely sathvik atmosphere, prohibiting abusive language, arguments, and fights, as well as keeping non-vegetarian food and any type of alcohol completely off the sets, was strictly enforced by the team for everyone. And that’s what it was, and we all didn’t even feel that it was so sab apna kaam kar rahe thhe; we were moving with the flow,” concludes Anand, who has since resumed shooting for his next project.