Director of Rs 100 crore blockbuster Hanuman Ansh reveals how he honoured the hit movie's sacred subject off screen: 'Was on a fruit diet for over 4.5 months....'

Hanuman Ansh has become a certified blockbuster. The devotional drama has now crossed Rs 99 crore at the box office, as per Sacnilk.com. During a recent appearance at The Raunac Podcast, director Vishal Chaturvedi revealed in accordance with the sacred subject of the movie (the film is based on the life story of Neem Karoli Baba), the food served in the set was wholly vegetarian.

“We used to do the Hanuman chalisa path everyday. In fact, I was on a fruit diet for around 4.5 months before the film’s release,” he said.

Vishal revealed he slashed his fee for the film. The director, who was also involved in the film's production, disclosed that he decided not to accept payment for his labour. He chose to forgo his directing salary because he was managing both the production and the direction.


Vishal recounted the original development and packaging of the idea in an interview with India TV. In an effort to discover a possible location for the movie, he contacted a number of OTT sites during that time. His decision to share the narrative was ultimately greatly influenced by his interactions with one such platform.

Vishal explained that he had originally approached the platform with an entirely different subject. However, the executives asked whether he had an Indian story that could connect with audiences beyond the country. In response, he presented the story of Maharaj Ji, describing it to them through an emotional lens.

The filmmaker said the response he received left him deeply dissatisfied. He felt that the manner in which the story was dismissed, along with the choice of words used during the conversation, was disrespectful and revealed a problematic perception of the subject. According to Vishal, the reaction suggested that certain preconceived notions surrounding the narrative were based on misconceptions and negative assumptions.

Rather than abandoning the project after encountering that resistance, Vishal became more determined to bring the story to audiences.