Hanuman Ansh. Budget: less than ₹2 crore. ROI: more than 250, catapulting it to the global list of top 10 films with the highest return on investment. On that list, Hanuman Ansh rubs shoulders with box-office wonders like Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky (1976) that was made on a shoestring budget of $1 million and earned $225 million.
The downside of the business done by Hanuman Ansh is far too many people have jumped on the dharmic bandwagon in the belief that references to Rama, Shiva and Hanuman, with shankh naad (the sound of conch shells) and visuals of a bow and arrow, are enough to send the audience into a spiritual swoon.
The best example comes from Yami Gautam and her Nayyi Navelli (NN). Its producer is Aanand L. Rai, who has gone wrong with his storytelling in the recent past, beginning with the messy SRK starrer Zero (2018) and going on to a couple of strange Akshay Kumar films like Atrangi Re (2018) and Raksha Bandhan (2022). That he so enthusiastically backed NN speaks for his diminishing comprehension of how a winning screenplay should unfold.
NN is a textbook example of how not to mess with our scriptures. Riding solely on the strength of Rama and Hanuman to demolish Ravana all over again, the film strews Om Namah Shivaya and other such chants all over an overloud background score. With an album full of annoying family members (one that lisps, another that chews paan non-stop) and a somnolent narration, Yami’s latest film also offers proof that comedy is not her forte. The last time she attempted it in Dhoom Dhaam (2025), it didn’t raise even a chuckle, although her co-star was Pratik Gandhi known for his excellent comic timing.
NN is also proof that invoking Rama and Shiva irresponsibly won’t save a film, no matter which auspicious period you choose to release it. Akshay Kumar had timed his Ram Setu (2022) for Diwali but it had fizzled like a drenched firecracker.
Unfortunately, an NN also sets off disillusionment over women-centric films. Since it is Yami who delivers the heavy monologues and fights Ravana while others watch effetely, filmmakers start looking at women-oriented cinema as a commercial risk. However, it’s not the gender of the pivot but the content and screenplay that truly matter.
As an example, hark back to Hanuman Ansh, which happens to be the story of Neem Karoli Baba. But its miracle earnings are accurately compared with that of Jai Santoshi Maa (1975), which cost ₹25 lakh and did a business of ₹500 lakh, making it a bigger hit than Sholay in terms of ROI. So, whether it’s a godman or a goddess, content and a magical X factor decide the business, not the gender.
Talking of business, a quick look at the first 10 months of the year endorses what’s become a byword for success here and in the West. Hollywood takes a successful film (Rocky, Superman and other superheroes), casts many more heart-warming characters in a similar mould, builds a brand and calls it a Universe. India has attempted a Cop Universe (set off by Rohit Shetty’s Singham) and a Spy Universe, which began with YRF’s Tiger. The ₹500 crore pickings of Drishyam: The Conclusion are an emphatic stamp on the added value of a successful franchise.
Look at Awarapan 2, which was not even a success in its first outing in 2007 but had music with great recall value. Welcome To The Jungle had a change in director (the original Welcome director Anees Bazmee gave way to Ahmed Khan) had its share of controversies (Nana Patekar had stated he didn’t do the film because he didn’t like what was narrated to him) and was postponed several times. And then Dhamaal 4 (director Indra Kumar promises there will be a fifth) and Drishyam — all prime examples of how the familiarity of a franchise draws the audience in.
Brands do have a loyal fan base.
Bharathi S. Pradhan is a senior journalist and an author