Hanuman Ansh director says Bollywood lacked support before film's surprise hit

Director Vishal Chaturvedi has revealed that he received little support from the Bollywood industry before his film Hanuman Ansh became a surprise box office hit, stating that many who later congratulated him had previously declined to help. The film, which was made on a budget of under Rs 2 crore, has now collected over Rs 72 crore domestically and continues its strong theatrical run. Speaking on a podcast, Chaturvedi said he approached several people for support before the film's release on August 7, 2026, but did not receive the help he was hoping for. After the film began performing well, some of those individuals called to congratulate him. "I don't want to name them," he said, clarifying that he did not want to acknowledge them simply because they were now praising the film's success. He specifically mentioned filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar among those who congratulated him, but noted that Bhandarkar was not someone he had asked for support. Chaturvedi also described the challenges the film faced in securing screens. He stated that the show count dropped from around 250 to just 25 as theatres prioritized bigger releases.