Yash’s ‘Toxic’ Release Leads to Major Screen Cut for ‘Hanuman Ansh’, From 350 to Just 25-30

‘Hanuman Ansh’ has managed to stay afloat at the box office despite a dramatic fall in its theatrical screen count and competition from major releases.

Vishal Chaturvedi’s film began with around 350 theatres but saw its presence shrink significantly after the arrival of ‘Awarapan 2’ and Yash-starrer ‘Toxic’. Producer Ragini Sona has now spoken about the uncertainty surrounding the film’s theatrical journey and revealed how the team eventually decided to extend its run despite having very few screens left.

‘Hanuman Ansh’ Faced a Major Screen Cut

According to Ragini, the film’s first week performed broadly in line with the team’s expectations. ‘Hanuman Ansh’ initially opened across approximately 350 theatres. However, the situation changed in the second week as ‘Awarapan 2’ and ‘Toxic’ arrived in cinemas. The film’s screen count fell sharply to around 25-30 theatres.

Despite the massive reduction in screens, the film’s business did not decline at the same pace. That steady performance became an important factor in the makers’ decision to keep the film running.

In an interview with Screen, Ragini recalled that she and director Vishal Chaturvedi were initially unsure whether another week in theatres would be financially viable. After discussing the situation with their distributors, they eventually decided to continue.

The team also agreed to make a limited additional expenditure, with the expectation that the cost could be recovered if the film managed to stay in cinemas for another week. The decision ultimately allowed ‘Hanuman Ansh’ to continue its theatrical journey.

Team Was Nervous About ‘Toxic’ Release

The arrival of Yash’s ‘Toxic’ created a challenging theatrical environment for the smaller film. However, Ragini said the makers never viewed the situation as a conventional box-office battle.

She acknowledged that the team was nervous about whether ‘Hanuman Ansh’ could survive alongside such a major release. Whenever the pressure increased, the team would recall a dialogue from their own film: “Hanuman Chaalisa padhte ho, phir bhi darte ho?”

The line became a way for the team to encourage one another and maintain faith during a difficult phase. Ragini also clarified that the makers never wanted ‘Toxic’ to underperform. Instead, they hoped that both films would find audiences and enjoy successful theatrical runs.

According to her, the comparison between the two films was largely created by audiences and the media. The ‘Hanuman Ansh’ team never considered defeating ‘Toxic’ as its objective.

She said they had initially not expected ‘Hanuman Ansh’ to survive even a single day against ‘Toxic’. Instead, the plan was to maintain a steady performance and allow both films to continue their individual box-office journeys.

‘Hanuman Ansh’ Box Office Collection

Released on August 7, ‘Hanuman Ansh’ has remained in theatres despite its reduced screen availability.

The film had reportedly collected ₹293.53 crore in India by its 44th day at the box office.

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

The film’s run has been notable for its ability to maintain business even after losing a substantial number of screens, eventually prompting the makers to continue its theatrical release for another week.