Pic credit: LinkedIn
Sept 18: A university assignment on Steve Jobs eventually took 21-year-old Anupriya A. Nagar into the world of Indian cinema.
While researching the Apple co-founder, Nagar came across his connection with Neem Karoli Baba and his visit to Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand. What began as academic research led her to explore the spiritual teacher’s life, connect with filmmaker Vishal Chaturvedi and eventually become involved with Hanuman Ansh.
The film, made on a reported budget of around ₹2 crore, started its theatrical journey with a modest opening but later crossed the ₹200 crore mark in India, according to reported box-office figures.
For Nagar, the journey from a university research project to film production has become an unusual story of curiosity, risk and opportunity.
Steve Jobs Research Led Anupriya Nagar to Neem Karoli Baba
Nagar’s connection with Hanuman Ansh reportedly began during her university years.
While working on an economics-related assignment on Steve Jobs, she discovered the Apple co-founder’s India connection and his association with Neem Karoli Baba.
Jobs travelled to India in the 1970s and visited Kainchi Dham. Neem Karoli Baba had already passed away by the time Jobs arrived, but the visit became part of the larger story surrounding Jobs’ spiritual journey in India.
For Nagar, the connection prompted further research.
Instead of limiting her work to Steve Jobs, she began exploring Neem Karoli Baba’s life, teachings and influence. According to reports, the research continued for around a year before eventually leading her toward filmmaker Vishal Chaturvedi and the project that became Hanuman Ansh.
How Anupriya Nagar Became Involved With Hanuman Ansh
Hanuman Ansh is a spiritual drama inspired by the life and legacy of Neem Karoli Baba. The film was written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi and produced by Ragini S., Namrata G. Singh and Anupriya A. Nagar.
Nagar did not finance the entire film herself.
She joined the project during post-production, when additional funds were required to complete the film and prepare it for release. The reported production budget was around ₹2 crore, with Nagar contributing approximately one-third of the budget from her savings.
At 21, that represented a significant personal financial commitment to a film whose eventual theatrical performance could not have been known in advance.
Hanuman Ansh Box Office: From ₹10 Lakh Opening to ₹200 Crore Plus
The film’s box-office journey was not an immediate success story.
According to Sacnilk’s reported figures, Hanuman Ansh opened on August 7, 2026, with an estimated ₹10 lakh India net collection. Its first week reportedly ended at around ₹1.08 crore, while the cumulative India net collection after two weeks was approximately ₹1.48 crore.
The film’s performance changed significantly in the weeks that followed.
Moneycontrol, citing Sacnilk data, reported that the movie had reached approximately ₹192.75 crore in India gross by Day 35.
By Day 38, Sacnilk reported approximately ₹214.63 crore in India net collections. Its reported India gross stood at around ₹253.55 crore, while overseas collections were estimated at approximately ₹14.50 crore, taking the reported worldwide gross to about ₹268.05 crore.
Hanuman Ansh Box Office at a Glance
| Milestone | Reported collection |
|---|---|
| Release date | August 7, 2026 |
| Reported budget | Around ₹2 crore |
| Opening day | ₹10 lakh India net |
| First week | ₹1.08 crore India net |
| Two weeks | ₹1.48 crore India net |
| Day 35 | ₹192.75 crore India gross |
| Day 38 | ₹214.63 crore India net |
| Day 38 India gross | ₹253.55 crore |
| Day 38 worldwide gross | ₹268.05 crore |
The figures highlight the unusual trajectory of the film: a very small opening followed by a sharp rise in collections over the following weeks.
Why Hanuman Ansh’s Box Office Journey Stands Out
The film’s reported performance is notable not simply because it crossed ₹200 crore, but because of the time it took to reach that milestone.
Unlike films that depend heavily on a large opening weekend, Hanuman Ansh reportedly began with relatively modest collections. Its later growth was associated in media reports with increasing audience interest and word of mouth. Hindustan Times reported that the film gained momentum following its August release and eventually crossed the ₹200 crore mark.
The reported figures also need to be viewed in context. Box-office gross is not the same as producer profit. Theatrical revenue is shared among distributors, exhibitors and other participants in the release chain, so a ₹200 crore collection should not automatically be interpreted as ₹200 crore earned by the producers.
The Unusual Steve Jobs Connection
The Steve Jobs connection gives Nagar’s story a particularly unusual starting point.
The Apple co-founder is widely associated with technology, entrepreneurship and innovation. Neem Karoli Baba, meanwhile, is associated with spirituality and his ashram at Kainchi Dham.
For Nagar, these seemingly different worlds came together through research.
A project about one of the world’s best-known technology entrepreneurs led her to investigate a spiritual teacher, which eventually led to a film project about that same figure.
That chain of events became the foundation for her involvement with Hanuman Ansh.
From Economics Student to Film Producer
Nagar’s journey also represents an unconventional entry into film production.
Rather than beginning with a traditional film-industry career, her path reportedly moved from academic research to a deeper interest in Neem Karoli Baba and then to an opportunity in cinema.
Her involvement came at a crucial stage of the film’s production, when additional financial support was needed.
The eventual box-office performance has brought greater attention to that decision, particularly because of the contrast between the film’s reported ₹2 crore budget and its reported ₹200 crore-plus theatrical collections.
A Story That Began With Curiosity
The numbers may be the most striking part of the story, but Nagar’s journey began much earlier than the film’s theatrical release.
There was no ₹200 crore milestone when she first encountered Neem Karoli Baba while researching Steve Jobs. There was simply a university assignment and an unexpected connection that prompted her to investigate further.
That research eventually led to a filmmaker, a film project and a personal financial commitment.
Hanuman Ansh subsequently went from a modest opening to reported collections of more than ₹200 crore in India, creating an unusual success story around a relatively small-budget film.
For Anupriya Nagar, the journey from Steve Jobs research to Neem Karoli Baba, from research to film production, and from a reported ₹2 crore film to ₹200 crore-plus box-office collections is what makes the story stand out.