Hanuman Ansh

Lakshminarayan Sharma, aged thirteen, leaves his hometown of Akbarpur in the Braj region after the death of his beloved mother, believing that only Shri Rama can reunite them. Inspired by the Hanuman Chalisa, he seeks union with Rama through Hanuman. At a Vaishnava temple in Rajkot, Gujarat, the elderly Mahant recognises his spiritual inclination and tests him. Lakshminarayan remains quiet and unassuming, rejecting comfort and praise before leaving, suggesting that institutions themselves can become forms of bondage.^[13]

For years, Lakshminarayan wanders, meditating beneath trees, sleeping beside rivers and living on alms. He deepens his spirituality through nature and encounters various ascetics, particularly those of the Nath Sampradaya and Naga sadhus. On one occasion, he remains underwater so long that villagers believe he has drowned, before eventually resurfacing. At twenty-five, he boards a first-class passenger train without a ticket.^[14] A colonial official orders him off the train, but it mysteriously refuses to move despite officials finding no mechanical fault. The railway manager concludes that Lakshmandas, one of the names he later adopts, is responsible. The officials seek his forgiveness, and he miraculously produces four first-class tickets, prompting them to recognise their misconduct. At the officer's family's urging, they apologise and ask him to return. Lakshmandas says he needs nothing because Hanuman ji provides for him, but demands that no saint in India be removed from trains for lacking a ticket and that a station be built for local residents. The officer agrees, after which Lakshmandas forgives them and boards the train.

The station, later known as Baba Lakshman Das Puri Halt Station in present-day Farrukhabad district, becomes associated with him, and Lakshmandas thereafter becomes known as Neem Karoli Baba. A villager recognises him as a former resident of Braj and informs his father, who finds him and reveals that he was customarily married in childhood to a girl named Rambeti. The film notes that child marriage is now illegal and the custom has been abolished. Reluctantly accepting his responsibility, like Lord Ram, Lakshman returns home and formally remarries Rambeti. After ensuring that she has sufficient food, he leaves to visit Neebkarori, but later departs following a dispute with the landowner of the temple site and travels to Kainchi mountain near Nainital.

There, he helps a frightened man who has lost his way at night. After the man recites the Hanuman Chalisa, Maharaj ji appears and guides him safely. The film ends by hinting at a sequel.

The film is the first instalment of a planned trilogy series inspired by director Dr Vishal Chaturvedi's own spiritual memoir, Divine Detour: That Changed My Life.^[15] In an interview, Chaturvedi said that his research began informally around 2009 and became more systematic in 2016–17, before expanding further during 2022–23, and took to various places associated with Baba, including Vrindavan, Akbarpur, Neeb Karori, and Lucknow. The final screenplay primarily drew upon stories he collected and accounts documented in books and other sources.^[16]

The film was made on a budget of ₹2 crore, though some reports place the production cost at ₹1.8 crore. Principal photography took place in November 2025, mainly in Chitrakoot^[17][18] including the opening scene, which was shot in Punjabi Baba Ashram in Chitrakoot, as well as key sequences like the installation of a Hanuman idol and the construction of Baba's cave.^[19] Some of the shooting also took place in Mumbai.^[20][21] In the first schedule itself, the original unnamed actor for the leading role fell ill. Shobhinaw Satyaa, who was the film's second assistant director at the time, auditioned for the role and was subsequently cast in the leading role of Neem Karoli Baba, replacing the original unnamed actor.^[22]

The soundtrack of Hanuman Ansh consists of multiple devotional tracks.^[23][24] The music of the soundtrack was composed by Sadhu S. Tiwari, Rishi Pathak, Vishal Chaturvedi and Dhirendra Mulkawar and lyrics were written by Sadhu S. Tiwari, Guru Goraksh Nath, Shreyas Dharmadhikari, Rishi Pathak and Vishal Chaturvedi.

Hanuman Ansh was scheduled to be released in theatres in India on 31 July 2026,^[25] but it was postponed and released on 7 August 2026.^[26][27] The film was released in Hindi, with subtitles in the Braj and Bundeli languages.^[28] Cinépolis India is the film's distributor in India.^[29] The first-look posters and teaser were released through the film's official social media accounts. The official trailer was released on 18 July 2026 on the Times Music YouTube channel.^[30]

The film was released in overseas markets on 11 September 2026, with Hombale Films handling its international distribution.^[31]

The film was planned as a trilogy, and the first film ends with an indication that the story of Neem Karoli Baba will continue.^[47] In September 2026, Chaturvedi confirmed that work on the second installment had already begun, which will cover the periods associated with Agra and Mathura, while the first installment covered Neem Karoli Baba's early life, starting in Firozabad until his youth.^[48]

• Kainchi Dham
• Sankat Mochan Temple