‘Hanuman Ansh’ Screens Slashed From 350 to 25-30 After Yash’s ‘Toxic’ Release

‘Hanuman Ansh’ has delivered an unexpected theatrical run despite facing strong competition.

And a steep reduction in its screen count. Directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, the film began its box-office journey with a limited release but soon had to compete with major titles, including Yash’s ‘Toxic’.

Despite losing a significant number of screens in its second week, the film continued to maintain its business. Producer Ragini Sona recently opened up about the challenges faced by the team, including a stage when they were unsure whether the film could continue in theatres and the decision to extend its run for another week.

‘Hanuman Ansh’ Nearly Lost Its Theatrical Run

Ragini recalled that the film’s team was travelling for promotions when they were suddenly confronted with the possibility of losing most of their theatrical presence.

According to her, the opening week went largely as expected, with ‘Hanuman Ansh’ releasing across around 350 theatres. However, the arrival of ‘Awarapan 2’ and ‘Toxic’ in the following week resulted in a dramatic reduction in the film’s screen count.

The film was left playing at only around 25-30 theatres. Despite the sharp drop, its business remained relatively stable, giving the makers a reason to continue.

Speaking to Screen, Ragini said the team was initially divided over whether to proceed. Eventually, she and director Vishal Chaturvedi decided to approach the distributors and seek another week for the film.

After discussions with the distributors and other stakeholders, the team decided to continue the theatrical run. They also made a small additional investment, calculating that the expenses could be recovered if the film stayed in cinemas for another week.

The decision eventually paid off, allowing ‘Hanuman Ansh’ to continue its box-office journey.

‘We Never Thought We Would Survive Even One Day Opposite Toxic’

The arrival of Yash-starrer ‘Toxic’ brought another major challenge for ‘Hanuman Ansh’. While the two films were subsequently discussed in the context of a box-office clash, Ragini said the makers never viewed ‘Toxic’ as a film they needed to compete against or see fail.

She admitted that the team did experience some nervousness after the big release arrived. During moments of pressure, they would remind each other of a dialogue from ‘Hanuman Ansh’: “Hanuman Chaalisa padhte ho, phir bhi darte ho?” The line became a source of encouragement for the team, who chose to rely on their faith and continue with the film.

Ragini said the makers wanted both films to perform well rather than treating their theatrical releases as a battle.

She explained that a successful run for a major film such as ‘Toxic’ could benefit the wider film industry. According to her, the comparison between ‘Toxic’ and ‘Hanuman Ansh’ was largely created by audiences and the media, while the team itself expected its film to continue steadily alongside the bigger release.

She added that the makers had never expected ‘Hanuman Ansh’ to survive for even a day against ‘Toxic’. Their expectation was simply that the film would maintain a steady theatrical run while the two movies continued their respective journeys.

‘Hanuman Ansh’ Box Office Performance

‘Hanuman Ansh’ was released in theatres on August 7 and has continued its run despite the competition and fluctuations in screen availability.

By its 44th day, the film had reportedly collected ₹293.53 crore in India.

The film features Shobhinaw Satyaa, Vihaan Shedge, Chandan Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi and Gulshan Pandey, among others. Vishal Chaturvedi has written and directed the project.

The film’s theatrical journey has been marked by a sharp drop in screen count, but its continued business helped the makers extend its run and push forward despite the arrival of bigger releases.