‘I was unsure whether I could make a career’: Hanuman Ansh composer on life now after Rs 200 crore hit movie on Neem Karoli Baba

Success can arrive unexpectedly, especially when a film grows through word of mouth rather than a conventional theatrical run. For music composer Dhirendra Mulkalwar, Hanuman Ansh has become a career-changing moment after the devotional drama crossed the Rs 200 crore mark. In an interview, Dhirendra opened up about the film’s unexpected success, the new opportunities coming his way and how social media helped the Neem Karoli Baba biopic gain momentum despite having just 30 screens.

Hanuman Ansh composer calls Rs 200 crore success a miracle

Hanuman Ansh has emerged as a major box-office surprise since its theatrical release on 7 August 2026. The film initially opened to low numbers but gained momentum from its third week after positive word of mouth. Reflecting on the film’s massive Rs 200 crore collection, music composer Dhirendra Mulkalwar told Hindustan Times that the team is still struggling to process its success. Calling the achievement a miracle, he said they still did not know how to react and had surrendered themselves to what they saw as a blessing from Babji.

The film, written, directed and produced by Vishal Chaturvedi under Swambhu Media Network, is the first instalment of a trilogy. It is based on Chaturvedi’s book Divine Detour: That Changed My Life, which is based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba. Hanuman Ansh stars Shobhinaw Satyaa and Chandan Anand in the lead roles, alongside Anil Rastogi, Sugandha Malhotra, Bhagvandas Patel and Neha Paranjpe.


The first film follows the early life of Lakshmi Narayan, a young boy in pre-Independence India who leaves home after his mother’s death in search of God. His journey through Northern India eventually leads to his transformation into Neem Karoli Baba.

Music composer reveals how the hit changed his career

For Dhirendra, who as per IMDb, has worked in movies like Uri: The Surgical Strike, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Article 15 to name a few, saw a dramatic change in his professional life after the success of Hanuman Ansh. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said phone calls were now coming in from people congratulating him. He also revealed that he had received several offers and was in talks for some of them. Before Hanuman Ansh, Dhirendra admitted that he had been unsure whether he would be able to build a career in films. The success of the film has now made him more hopeful about his future.

He credited Baba Ji for giving him such a big success and said he had now left everything to him. Dhirendra also revealed that he was receiving calls from people who had rejected him in the past.

How social media helped Hanuman Ansh grow

The film’s journey to Rs 200 crore became even more notable because its theatrical screen count initially moved in the opposite direction. Dhirendra told Hindustan Times that Hanuman Ansh was left with only 30 screens in its second week. Instead of giving up, Vishal Chaturvedi and the entire team travelled from city to city in their cars to promote the film. Dhirendra said the response happened organically and that social media played a major role in the upward trend in both box-office collections and the number of screens.

Hanuman Ansh box office collection

As per Sacnilk, Hanuman Ansh has crossed the Rs 200 crore milestone. The film has recorded total India gross collections of Rs 272.90 crore and India net collections of Rs 231.13 crore so far. Overseas, the film collected Rs 2 crore on Day 40, taking its total overseas gross collection to Rs 18.50 crore. Its worldwide gross collection has reached Rs 291.40 crore.

Made on a reported shoe-string budget of Rs 2 crore, the film has become one of the most profitable Indian films of all time, according to the information provided.