The month of August turned out to be miraculous with the release of Hanuman Ansh on 7 August. The film has collected approx Rs 42 crore to date, and it seems like it now has a shot at crossing the Rs 100 crore mark if it holds in the weekdays and the coming week.
At a post-screening interaction speaking to the media, writer-director Vishal Chaturvedi revealed that work has begun on the sequel.
Vishal also revealed that the second part will focus on Neeb Karori Baba’s life in his birthplace, Firozabad, and will then explore his life in Agra, Mathura, etc. Interestingly, Neeb Karori Baba’s family was based in Agra. Lead actor Shobhinaw Satyaa was also present alongside Vishal Chaturvedi at the interaction in the Agra theatre.
Interestingly, audience reaction has played a big part in getting the franchise to this point. Hanuman Ansh did not open with a bang — its Day 1 collection was a modest Rs 10 lakh — but strong word of mouth over the following weeks turned it into one of the year’s sleeper hits, with viewers actively recommending it to others even as bigger, star-driven releases dominated the same weekends. Audiences have particularly praised Shobhina Satyaa’s calm, restrained performance as Baba and the film’s simple, sincere handling of Neem Karoli Baba’s message of service and devotion, even as some viewers admit the pacing can feel slow in stretches. That the film has managed to build such a devoted following purely on the strength of what audiences are saying about it makes a sequel — and a planned trilogy — feel like a natural next step rather than a studio-driven cash-in.
Much of the film’s emotional core has rested on Shobhinaw Satyaa’s shoulders, who plays Neeb Karori Baba on screen. His restrained, natural portrayal has been repeatedly singled out by viewers and reviewers alike as one of the film’s biggest strengths, with many noting that his calm, understated performance — rather than any dramatic flourish — is what lends the film its spiritual, meditative quality. With Satya present alongside Vishal Chaturvedi at the Agra interaction where the sequel was confirmed, and with Part Two set to trace Baba’s early years in Firozabad before moving to Agra and Mathura, audiences will be watching closely to see how he carries the character through the earlier, formative chapters of his life.
