Few could have predicted the box-office run of Hanuman Ansh. The devotional drama, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, had a slow start, earning around Rs15 million across its first two weeks. But word of mouth changed its trajectory and by Day 52, the Vishal Chaturvedi-directed film had reportedly earned close to Rs4 billion globally.
Those numbers are particularly striking given the scale on which the film was made. Directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh reportedly cost between Rs15 million and Rs20 million and was made without major stars or an expansive marketing campaign.
Chaturvedi has previously said the tight budget meant cutting down on locations, travelling by train and working without vanity vans, while he waived his writing and directing fees to get the film made.
Behind the small production was an equally small group of people who backed the project financially. Producers Ragini Sona, Namrata G Singh and Anupriya Nagar invested in the film, while Chaturvedi became an equal partner in the project after foregoing his fee.
Now, as the unlikely success story continues at the box office, the film’s 21-year-old producer Anupriya Nagar is extending her support to one of the voices that has become closely associated with the film.
Nagar has stepped forward to support the eye treatment of visually impaired Bundeli folk singer Sunil Lodhi, whose devotional track Maine Tere Hi Bharose Hanuman features in Hanuman Ansh.
Lodhi’s journey has itself become one of the stories to emerge from the film’s success. The Bundelkhand singer, who’s visually impaired, had previously sung devotional music locally and reportedly performed on trains to earn a living before his voice reached a much larger audience through the film.
His rendition of Maine Tere Hi Bharose Hanuman has since drawn attention online, bringing recognition to a singer who had largely remained outside the mainstream music industry.
Nagar now plans to bring Lodhi to Mumbai, where he will be examined by an eye specialist to determine whether treatment could help his vision.
The producer has spoken about being moved by Lodhi’s story and the contrast between the singer receiving widespread appreciation for his work while being unable to see that response himself.
For now, however, the process remains at the evaluation stage. Lodhi is expected to undergo a specialist consultation before doctors determine what, if any, treatment may be possible. No diagnosis or course of treatment has yet been publicly confirmed.
Source: Khaleej Times
