Hanuman Ansh’s Box Office Turnaround A Miracle, Says Neem Karoli Baba’s Grandson Dr Dhananjay Sharma

The Hindi devotional drama Hanuman Ansh, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, experienced a miraculous turnaround at the box office, according to Dr Dhananjay Sharma, the grandson of the revered religious leader. After a dismal opening day collection of ₹10 lakh on August 7, the biopic gathered momentum and generated around ₹168 crore in box office collections within a week, marking an astonishing 8,000% return on the film that was produced on a budget of merely ₹2 crore.

Dr Sharma, who now resides in Arera Colony, is 68 years old and retired from the Medicine Department of Hamidia Hospital. Though he had limited personal interactions with Baba, having only met him at the age of 14 when he passed away in Mathura, Dr Sharma recalls a memorable incident where Baba, during a cycle rickshaw ride in Agra, handed the rickshaw puller a ₹50 note to take care of his ailing wife and continued their journey in a different rickshaw.

Dr Sharma also remembers Baba visiting their house in Arera Colony for ten days. According to Dr Sharma, the film accurately portrays the life of his grandfather, and the director had shown him the film before its release for his consent. When the film underperformed in its first week, the director presented Dr Sharma with 50 free tickets for distribution.

Recently, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the allotment of land for building an ashram dedicated to Baba near Ratibad, where the fourth ashram will be constructed after Neem Karoli, Kainchi Dham, and Vrindavan.