Small-budget Hanuman Ansh gains screens and gears up for global rollout as Yash’s Toxic slows at box office

Bollywood's screen count strategy is evolving. While Yash's Toxic attracted massive attention with a Rs 150 crore opening globally, its momentum has waned. In contrast, Hanuman Ansh started with a small screen presence of Rs 10 lakh across 355 shows and steadily increased its allocation. Despite beginning with a modest budget of around Rs 2 crore, Hanuman Ansh has experienced a surge in collections, particularly from its 16th day onwards, culminating in Rs 50 crore in its fourth week, bringing its overall India gross to Rs 72.32 crore.

Comparatively, Toxic, despite a higher opening, collected Rs 5.10 crore on its second Wednesday with only 14.2% occupancy across 12,432 shows. Hanuman Ansh's trajectory, marked by a slow start followed by a strong fourth-week performance, contrasts sharply with that of the larger releases, Toxic and Awarapan 2. The film, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, has expanded to approximately 1,500 screens and is set for an international release on September 11, distributed by Hombale Films.

As Toxic's IMAX presence diminishes, Hanuman Ansh's growing appeal suggests a shift in audience preferences and exhibitor strategies, driven by the dynamics of demand and supply in the competitive Indian cinema market.