Mumbai: The devotional drama Hanuman Ansh has eclipsed Sunny Deol’s Border 2 on the domestic chart, becoming the second-highest domestic grosser of 2026. As of Saturday at 2:00 pm, the film’s nett domestic collections stood at Rs 329.61 crore, according to Sacnilk, leaving only Dhurandhar: The Revenge ahead of it.
The overseas total is Rs 40 crore. A newly released Telugu dub added Rs 0.15 crore in that market on Friday, a figure that will now be watched closely as the film tries to add another leg to an already long run.
The long-run effect
Made on a reported budget of Rs 2 crore, Hanuman Ansh has confounded trade expectations. Its domestic performance alone is more than 160 times the reported production cost, before overseas revenue is counted. The film had a slow start but has kept breaking records, including the highest week 9 collection of all time at Rs 10.50 crore nett last week.
That long tail is the real story. In an exhibition market that tends to front-load a release, the ninth-week record is a stronger signal than a big opening. If a film can return more than 160 times its reported budget from domestic business alone, mid-scale devotional subjects no longer look like a niche gamble.
- Domestic nett: Rs 329.61 crore (Saturday, 2:00 pm)
- Overseas: Rs 40 crore
- Telugu version Friday: Rs 0.15 crore
- Reported budget: Rs 2 crore
- Week 9 record: Rs 10.50 crore nett
The devotional turn
Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, the film is based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharaj ji. It stars Chandan K Anand and Shobhinav Satyaa, with Nikhil Dubey, Udaysinh Rajput, Purnima Tiwari and Mannish Chaudhary in the ensemble. It is produced by Swambhu Media Network, Ragini S, Namrata G S and Anupriya A Nagar.
The success has spilled beyond screens. The film’s run has coincided with a sharp rise in pilgrims and tourists at Kainchi Dham, the place closely associated with Maharaj ji, giving the box office story a visible cultural dimension.
What to watch
For the trade, the question is whether this is a one-off or the start of a mid-scale devotional wave. The Telugu release remains an open test. If it adds meaningful collections, it will strengthen the case that such films can travel beyond their core Hindi audience without losing their long-haul character.
Source: Cinema Express
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