Large poster for the film 'Ramayana: Part 1' released for Ganesh Chaturthi celebration

The Bollywood industry is currently witnessing a contrast between two films. On one hand, 'Ramayana,' considered one of the most ambitious projects in Indian cinema, attracts attention due to the participation of major stars such as Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Sai Pallavi, as well as a huge budget. On the other hand, the film 'Hanuman ANSH,' made for only about 2 crore rupees, lacks superstars, a multi-billion dollar budget, or global support on par with Hollywood.

Nevertheless, the small picture demonstrated such success at the box office that it is now being discussed in the context of big-budget films.

'Hanuman ANSH,' inspired by the life of Neem Karoli Baba, initially showed slow pace at the box office, opening with approximately 10 lakhs. However, gradually audience interest grew, and box office collections began to rise rapidly. According to reports, the film collected around 193 crore rupees in 35 days. This means the film earned income approximately 96 times its budget, causing a stir in the film industry. Usually, a film's strength is considered to be major stars, a large budget, and active promotion, but 'Hanuman ANSH' refuted all these notions.

The main feature of 'Hanuman ANSH' was the absence of support from major Bollywood or South Indian cinema stars. The film is based on the spiritual journey of Neem Karoli Baba, and its strength lay in the story, faith, and word-of-mouth of the audience. Public interest in the picture grew so much that it earned around 61 crore rupees in the fourth week, maintaining good standing into the fifth week. Thus, the film did not rely on star power to attract an audience on day one, but gradually won the trust of the viewers.

On the other side is Nitesh Tiwari's 'Ramayana.' In this film, Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, and Yash plays Ravana. The film is planned to be released in two parts and was created keeping a global audience in mind. The budget of 4000 crore rupees caused the most resonance. However, the situation here is somewhat different: Yash clarified that 4000 crore covers not only the expenses for the first part but also the costs for the release and promotion of both parts, especially those related to global and Hollywood promotion. Therefore, calling it simply 'a production budget of 4000 crore for one film' is incorrect, but it is obvious that the stakes in 'Ramayana' are extremely high.

The real challenge for 'Ramayana' lies not in box office collections, but in expectations. Since 'Ramayana' has not yet been released, it would be premature to say that it failed to meet its budget. The first episode of the film is scheduled for release in November 2026. Nevertheless, the pressure on the film is palpable. When the figure of 4000 crore is attached to the picture, stars like Ranbir Kapoor and Yash appear, and we are talking about Hollywood-level visual effects and global distribution; audience expectations automatically increase. Now, for the film to succeed, it will not be enough just to be good; viewers will demand that the scale announced in the budget be visible on screen.

Social media reactions to the teasers and trailers of 'Ramayana' were mixed. Some viewers highly appreciated the scale and visual effects, while others questioned the VFX and characters. Even after the trailer's release, the image of Ravana by Yash and the role of Rama by Ranbir continued to be actively discussed. Despite the huge interest in the film, there is another problem—a mountain of expectations. It is here that 'Hanuman ANSH' unintentionally poses a difficult question to 'Ramayana.'

The box office success of 'Hanuman ANSH' sends a direct signal: audiences buy stories and emotions, not always the budget. If a film costing 2 crore rupees can approach 190 crore, this is not just a victory for a low-budget picture; it is a serious question to the idea that the bigger the budget, the higher the probability of success. In recent years, many examples of low-budget films achieving success have emerged, but the case of 'Hanuman ANSH' is unique because the film did not initially create much hype. It slowly won the hearts of the viewers and then secured its place at the box office.

Thus, 'Hanuman ANSH' is not exactly a direct competitor to 'Ramayana' in terms of box office, as the scale, budget, cast, and vision of these two films are completely different. However, an interesting confrontation has arisen between them on an ideological level. One film asserts: 'We have a scale of thousands of crores.' The other says: 'We only had a story, faith, and audience trust, and look where we got to.' The real test awaits 'Ramayana' after its premiere. If Ranbir's and Yash's film can connect its grand scale with the feelings of the viewers, then...

The controversy surrounding the standing Hanuman temple and its idol, established amidst road widening work in Ujjain, is no longer just a local matter. Due to various claims and videos going viral regarding attempts to remove the idol on social media, this statue has become a topic of discussion across the country. Some people described it as a matter of faith, while others linked the idol's inability to be displaced to a miracle. However, behind all these claims lie their own realities and the administration's perspective.

On Friday, upon visiting the Khade Hanuman Temple near Chhatri Chowk, a different scenario emerged beyond the dispute. Long queues were lined up outside the temple, and these queues were not only filled with residents of Ujjain. A family from Maharashtra, people from Delhi, a woman from Odisha, and devotees from Bihar were also present. This meant that people from various parts of the country were reaching Ujjain to have darshan of Khade Hanuman.

For the local people, faith in Khade Hanuman is nothing new, and the significance of this idol has been long-standing. However, in recent days, the most attention-grabbing aspect outside the temple was the presence of devotees from other states. It was natural to ask what exactly drew people from thousands of kilometers away to see this idol.

First, three young women who were residents of Delhi and worked in an IT company in Gurugram were spoken to. They had originally come to see Mahakal in Ujjain, but continuous reels of Khade Hanuman appearing on social media increased their curiosity. After seeing Mahakal, they decided to go directly to the Khade Hanuman Temple. Thus, the discussion happening on social media did not remain just a video or post for them, but led them to the temple.

A hotel receptionist mentioned that a family from Maharashtra was also found in the temple queue. When asked how they reached to see Khade Hanuman, their answer was different from social media. The family stated that the receptionist at the hotel where they stayed informed them about this idol. They were told that there had been an attempt to remove the idol, but it could not be removed. This curiosity led them to the temple.

Upon researching online, mentions of Roshan Chopra, a Chartered Accountant from Delhi, and his family in the context of Khade Hanuman were found everywhere. He mentioned that his visit to Ujjain was scheduled about five days prior. When he started searching for places to visit in Ujjain online, the Khade Hanuman Temple was mentioned almost everywhere. The videos circulating on social media, television news, and the continuous discussion about the idol further increased their curiosity. Consequently, after seeing Mahakal, their next destination was also the Khade Hanuman Temple.

The story of the devotees from Odisha and Bihar was similar. Priyanka Gupta, who came from Odisha and was in the queue, was also interviewed. She said that she has been a devotee of Lord Hanuman since childhood. When she learned through social media that there was a discussion about removing this idol in Ujjain, she decided to come here. Her wish was not just to have darshan, but she wanted this idol to remain in place. Ashish Tiwari from Bihar also supports this view, believing that the Khade Hanuman idol should remain in its current location. One thing was common among all these people during the conversations, and that was the influence of social media.

Various claims are being made about Khade Hanuman on social media. Among these is the claim that the administration attempted to remove the idol four times and failed every time. Some reels have even been created using AI to show the crane breaking down during the removal of the idol. These videos and claims have generated curiosity among people, which is now drawing people towards Ujjain.

However, there is another side to this development. The administration has called these claims misleading, stating that there was never any attempt to remove the idol. Speaking with the SDM of Ujjain, L.N. Garg, he termed the information spread on social media as misleading. He clarified that the administration has neither attempted to remove the idol by machinery nor manually. He also clarified that no final decision has been taken regarding the idol currently.

At the request of the temple priests, a team of experts has been called to conduct a scientific test of the idol, although no scientific examination has taken place yet. Whatever decision is made in the future will be based on the report of the scientific test. The administration says that the feelings of local residents and devotees will also be taken into account in this entire process. Despite the clarification from the administration, the ground reality tells a different story; the demand to keep the idol in place is gaining momentum, and signatures are being collected from people with a large poster near the temple supporting this.

The film 'Hanuman ANS' (Hanu-Man), which initially gained slow popularity, became a massive hit. The film's growing fame led to the sudden rise in popularity of associated artists. Recently, a similar situation occurred on an airplane when passengers recognized singer Sunil Lodi, who performed a popular religious song from this film, 'Maine Tere Hi Bharose Hanuman.'

At the request of the public, as he began to sing, the atmosphere of the entire flight filled with spiritual devotion, and passengers experienced strong emotions. According to a viral video on social media, singer Sunil Lodi was flying from Bhopal to Mumbai. As soon as passengers realized that a famous religious singer from 'Hanuman ANS' was among them, people started gathering around him. Everyone demanded to hear his hit 'Maine Tere Hi Bharose Hanuman.'

Sunil did not disappoint anyone and began to perform. His singing completely transformed the atmosphere in the plane into one of reverence; all passengers applauded and sang along with him. In this divine setting, people were so moved that some shed tears. Everyone present tried to capture this moment on their phone.

Sunil Lodi is originally from Bundelkhand area, Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh. He lives in a very small village named Agara, which belongs to the Jaisanagar block. His father owns only an acre of land, and Sunil is the eldest of four siblings. Since he was born with visual impairment and could not receive formal schooling, he made music his most sincere companion and support.

At the age of just 10 or 11, Sunil learned to play the tambura while sitting among the elders of his village. He then gradually began performing religious songs at local events and community gatherings. His diligence and melodious voice eventually opened up a larger stage for him. The songs he sang for the film 'Hanuman ANS' brought him to the peak of fame, where his music and humility are now spoken of.