As it blazes past milestones at the box office, there is more cheer for devotional film Hanuman Ansh. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that the film, based on the life and teachings of spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba, will be made tax-free in the state.
Hanuman Ansh to be made tax-free
On Friday, DM Dhami watched the movie at a cinema hall in Dehradun along with his wife Geeta Dhami, cabinet colleagues Ganesh Joshi and Pradeep Batra, and several MLAs. The CM said films like Hanuman Ansh play a vital role in showcasing the state’s spiritual and cultural heritage to the nation and the world.
“Through the film, we had the opportunity to know and understand Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj Ji’s penance, sacrifice, service, and his unwavering faith in Lord Hanuman. His entire life was dedicated to the service of humanity, spiritual practice, and the welfare of society,” the chief minister said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“The life of Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj Ji gives us the message that devotion is not merely practice, but also the path of service, surrender, and human welfare,” he added. Congratulating the film’s team for creating an “inspirational and spiritual film”, he announced that it would be made tax-free in the state.
About Hanuman Ansh
Written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh follows a grieving young Lakshminarayan, who embarks on a spiritual journey in search of God after the death of his mother. As he travels across North India seeking answers to life, death and human suffering, he eventually transforms into the revered saint Neem Karoli Baba, whose teachings of love, service and compassion touched countless lives.
The film stars Shobhinaw Satya in the lead role alongside Vihaan Shedge, Chandan K Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil Rastogi, Gulshan Pandey and Bhagvandas Patel.
The film, which released in theatres on August 7, had a slow start, netting only ₹10 lakh nationwide on its opening day. By its second week, the film was playing in fewer than 20 theatres across India. But then, it picked up by a strong word-of-mouth. It earned over ₹28 crore net in India on its fourth weekend and since then, has raced towards the ₹100-crore mark. Following its success, it has also secured international distribution through Hombale Films. The production house announced that it will be taking the film to the global audiences, but an international release date is yet to be announced.