The devotional film Hanuman Ansh has crossed Rs 300 crore worldwide on a reported budget of just Rs 2 crore, while the big-budget Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan starrer Haiwaan has failed to cross Rs 10 crore net in India after nine days. The two films, released weeks apart, present a sharp contrast in box office economics.<\/p>\n
Hanuman Ansh, directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, was released on August 7, 2026. Haiwaan, directed by Priyadarshan, was released on September 11, 2026.<\/p>\n
Hanuman Ansh was made on a budget of around Rs 2 crore, with director Vishal Chaturvedi stating the final cost was between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 1.7 crore.<\/p>\n
Chaturvedi said the production was completed in 22 days. He forwent his directorial and writing fees and invested his own money after one investor backed out and the budget was cut in half.<\/p>\n
The film opened with just Rs 10 lakh on its first day and earned Rs 1.08 crore in its first week. Positive word of mouth drove a turnaround from the third week onward.<\/p>\n
By day 45, Hanuman Ansh had earned Rs 271.88 crore net in India and Rs 347.05 crore worldwide. It added 1,200 screens in its seventh week, expanding from 6,462 shows to 7,628 shows over the weekend.<\/p>\n
The film has become the most profitable Indian film by return on investment, earning nearly 140 times its production cost. It surpassed The Kashmir Files as the lowest-budget Indian film to enter the Rs 300 crore worldwide club.<\/p>\n
Haiwaan was mounted on a reported budget of around Rs 130 crore, including approximately Rs 115 crore in production costs and Rs 15 crore for print and advertising.<\/p>\n
The film opened at Rs 3 crore net in India on day one and collected Rs 2.50 crore on day two. By day nine, its India net total stood at Rs 9.87 crore.<\/p>\n
Haiwaan recorded 16.02% Hindi occupancy on its first Saturday. On its second Saturday, it earned just Rs 1 lakh from 69 shows across 28 cities.<\/p>\n
The film is an official Hindi remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which starred Mohanlal. The original was made on a budget of Rs 7 crore and recovered its entire production cost within its opening weekend.<\/p>\n
Trade analysts have described Haiwaan as one of the biggest box office disasters of the year and a potential career-low for Akshay Kumar in recent decades.<\/p>\n
Hanuman Ansh stars Shobhinaw Satyaa as Neem Karoli Baba. The cast includes Chandan Anand, Vihaan Shedge, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi, Gulshan Pandey, and Bhagvandas Patel.<\/p>\n
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Satyaa was the film’s second assistant director before being cast in the lead role. Around 70% of the casting was done from local actors in Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Satna, and Chitrakoot.<\/p>\n
Haiwaan stars Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Sharib Hashmi, Boman Irani, Rajpal Yadav, and Manoj Joshi. It was the final project of actor Asrani, who passed away in 2025.<\/p>\n
Anupriya Nagar, who at 21 is the youngest producer on Hanuman Ansh, addressed whether the cast and crew would receive bonuses after the film’s success. She said, ‘The film was mounted carefully with the available resources. Every actor and technician came on board through individually agreed professional terms. All commitments were structured according to the nature of each person’s involvement and the production’s requirements.’<\/p>\n
She added, ‘Any decision concerning bonuses or additional compensation would need to be taken collectively with the other producers after reviewing the film’s final accounts and existing contracts. I would not want to announce anything before that process is complete. Recognition can also go beyond money, and I want every person associated with the film to feel respected and remembered as part of this journey.’<\/p>\n
Producer Ragini Sona said she planned to compensate the team from her own share. She said, ‘But whatever I will get – the producer’s cut is not so much, and especially when it will be divided among a few – but whatever will be there, from my side, I will compensate for all the hard work that everyone has put in, because I was there to see what they all had done.’<\/p>\n
Vishal Chaturvedi has confirmed that a sequel to Hanuman Ansh is in development. The film was conceived as the first instalment of a planned trilogy.<\/p>\n
The sequel will explore Neem Karoli Baba’s life beginning in Firozabad, his birthplace, and will subsequently move through Agra, Mathura, and other locations connected to his spiritual journey.<\/p>\n
The project is inspired by Chaturvedi’s book Divine Detour: That Changed My Life, which explores the life of Neem Karoli Baba.<\/p>\n
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut praised the film on Instagram. She wrote, ‘#hanumanansh is not a movie; it’s a satsang, beautifully woven short stories of people who had first-hand experience of #neemkaroribaba. Skip your therapy and go watch it.’<\/p>\n
A post on X by trade analyst Rahul Raut stated that Haiwaan has become one of the biggest disasters in the history of Hindi cinema, noting the film collected 1 lakh on its second Saturday and ended its theatrical run under 10 crore net on a 70-80 crore budget.<\/p>\n
As of September 21, 2026, Hanuman Ansh continues its theatrical run with 7,628 shows across India. The film is expected to cross the Rs 350 crore worldwide mark within days.<\/p>\n
Haiwaan’s theatrical run has effectively concluded, with the film failing to recover even 10% of its reported production budget.<\/p>\n
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