Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 29: Bollywood film ‘Hanuman Ansh’ has emerged as a hit at the box office, recording its biggest single-day collection on its fourth Friday and continuing its strong run in theatres.
The film had already crossed Rs 4 crore nett by the end of evening shows on Friday and is expected to finish the day close to Rs 6 crore nett. This will take its overall collection beyond Rs 17 crore nett.
If the momentum continues through the weekend, the film could reach around Rs 25 crore nett or even move towards the Rs 30 crore nett mark, further cementing its successful theatrical run.
‘Hanuman Ansh’ is the sixth Hindi film of the year to be declared a hit, following ‘Border 2’, ‘Dhurandhar 2’, ‘Bhooth Bangla’, ‘Dhamaal 4’ and ‘Awarapan 2’.
While most of the other successful films carried franchise value, ‘Bhooth Bangla’ was not a direct franchise film but was positioned as a film in the ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ space.
The major draw for ‘Hanuman Ansh’ has been its subject. The film is a biopic based on a Hindu spiritual figure who had a strong following. Its reported positive reception and word of mouth have further supported its box-office performance.
The film initially performed particularly well in the Delhi-UP circuit, leading to expectations that its business would remain concentrated in northern markets. However, its performance has subsequently strengthened across Hindi-speaking circuits, with Maharashtra and Gujarat also recording strong numbers.
Released on August 7, ‘Hanuman Ansh’ had a modest opening of around Rs 10 lakh nett and ended its first week with approximately Rs 90 lakh.
Its second-week collections declined as new releases around Independence Day received a larger share of theatrical screens. However, the film made a major comeback in its third week, collecting more than Rs 10 crore nett.
The fourth week has seen the film gather even greater momentum, with Friday alone expected to cross Rs 5 crore nett.
The upcoming festive period could provide another boost to the film. Raksha Bandhan falls during the current weekend, while Janmashtami next week could provide another opportunity for increased footfalls.
With the film continuing to gain momentum several weeks after release, its final box-office potential remains difficult to predict.
The unusual success of ‘Hanuman Ansh’ follows the strong theatrical performance of ‘Mahavatar Narsimha’ last year, highlighting the growing potential of films based on Hindu mythology and spiritual subjects.
Later this year, the release of ‘Ramayana’ is also expected to draw significant attention, with its scale and subject potentially giving rise to another major box-office phenomenon.