The box-office stories of 2026 have been nothing but unusual. Hanuman Ansh, a Neem Karoli Baba-inspired movie, opened at just ₹10 lakh and has now crossed more than ₹300 crore net in India and ₹400 crore worldwide, as per Sacnilk reports. 

Meanwhile, The Vvaan: Force of The Forest, which also uses folklore, faith, and mythological elements, opened with much bigger numbers, but the daily collections have fallen sharply in its first week. 

This poses an important question for the audience: Why does Hanuman Ansh continue to work even in its 9th week of theatrical run, but Vvaan, with similar themes, fails to pick up in the box office?

The answer lies in a key difference: cultural themes can spark curiosity, but sustained theatrical momentum depends on how strongly a film converts that curiosity into repeat viewing and word-of-mouth.

Hanuman Ansh vs The Vvaan: Same Cultural Elements But Not Same Proposition

On the surface, the comparison of the two films makes sense. Hanuman Ansh is about the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba, and The Vvaan has its fantasy around folklore, faith, and a mysterious forest deity. 

Both films lean into Indian culture and belief systems rather than showcasing a conventional superhero mythology. But their theatrical propositions are different, and so is the audience.

Directed by Vishal Chaturvedi and led by Shobhinaw Satyaa as Neem Karoli Baba, Hanuman Ansh is a spiritual biographical drama. Its central appeal is the devotional connection audiences have with his story.

The Vvaan: Force of the Forest, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia, is a folk-fantasy thriller about a forbidden forest. The story revolves around a man drawn into a forest by supernatural forces, which leads him into a conflict beyond logic. 

So while the films occupy neighbouring cultural territory, one cannot simply assume that audiences will respond to them in the same way.

Shobhinaw Satyaa as Neem Karoli Baba in Hanuman Ansh and Sidharth Malhotra as Rishi in The Vvaan (Image Credit: TDJ Graphics)

Hanuman Ansh’s Biggest Advantage Came After Its Opening

The most appealing number in the Hanuman Ansh story is not its ₹317 crore box office collection. It is how the movie made ₹1.08 crore in the first week but only ₹40 lakh in the second week

However, as per the Box Office India reports, in the third week, Hanuman Ansh gained momentum again and earned ₹10.40 crore and in the fourth week, ₹ 61 crore. And by the fifth weekend, the film had crossed ₹100 crore in India despite beginning with only 25 screens. 

That is an unusually long conversion curve.

Hanuman Ansh reportedly was released on around 250 screens, but its screen count subsequently fell to roughly 25-40 screens. Instead of disappearing, however, the film began attracting audiences at the screens where it remained.

By its fourth week, the film was reportedly playing on around 1,200 screens.

Hindustan Times reported that the reason behind the film's unusual expansion has been its growing word-of-mouth appeal. Cinépolis India MD Devang Sampat attributed the turnaround to viewers recommending the film to others and exhibitors responding when occupancy supported additional shows. 

There is another important part of the story.

According to PVR INOX's Gautam Dutta, in an interview with Money Control, Hanuman Ansh initially attracted its core faith-based audience, but curiosity among a wider audience helped the film expand.

ThePrint's reporting from a Delhi screening also found a varied audience, including satsang groups, office groups and people who had not been regular cinema-goers. The film was being discussed and recommended through WhatsApp groups, social media and residential communities.

This is what makes Hanuman Ansh's ₹2.08 crore in its 56th day of theatrical run so amusing. Instead of front-loading its business around opening weekend, Hanuman Ansh expanded its audience as awareness spread. 

The film's devotional subject gave viewers a reason to recommend it beyond the usual ‘good film’ conversation. For sections of its audience, the subject itself became part of the theatrical draw.

ALSO READ: Hanu-Man, Kantara To Hanuman Ansh: How Indian Folklore Is Becoming A New Box-Office Trend

The Vvaan Has Started Well; But Its Real Test Comes Now

Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest is built around Van Devi, a forbidden forest and an urban rationalist, Rishi, played by Sidharth Malhotra, who becomes caught up in the supernatural world. Tamannaah Bhatia plays his wife, Mamta.

Vvaan is fundamentally an action-fantasy mystery thriller, not a devotional drama. Its appeal therefore depends more heavily on the execution of its story, suspense and spectacle.

It would be premature to describe The Vvaan as a film that has failed to connect.

The Vvaan crossed ₹33 crore net by Day 3 and reached around ₹50 crore net in India by the end of its first week, according to Sacnilk trade reports. Its worldwide gross had also crossed ₹69 crore.

The question is therefore not why The Vvaan is not working. It is whether it can hold.

The film has received mixed reviews, with critics broadly acknowledging its folklore-driven premise while questioning aspects of its execution. 

Its weekday numbers have also come down sharply from the opening weekend. Bollywood Hungama's trade tracker puts its Day 3 occupancy at 36.30%, compared with 12.71% on Day 6 and 11.80% on Day 7.

Sidharth Malhotra in The Vvaan: Force Of The Forest (Image Credit: Instagram @sumitkadelofficial)

Bigger Lesson Is About Audience Retention, Not Mythology Or Folklore

Hanuman Ansh gives its target audience a reason to return, recommend and bring someone else along. Its subject is directly connected to devotion, spirituality and the life of Neem Karoli Baba. That makes the theatrical experience partly cultural and personal rather than purely entertainment-driven.

Vvaan, meanwhile, asks audiences to buy into a fictional fantasy world. That can absolutely work, but the mythology has to be accompanied by a compelling screenplay and strong execution.

There is also the question of timing. Hanuman Ansh had several weeks to build momentum before becoming a genuine box-office phenomenon.

The Vvaan arrived in a much more immediate competitive environment and is now heading into the release of Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 3, which is expected to put pressure on available screens.

Vaan’s first-week decline in daily occupancy means the film now faces precisely the test that Hanuman Ansh passed: can the initial audience generate enough positive word-of-mouth to keep bringing new viewers into theatres?

ALSO READ: Neem Karoli Baba Series Confirmed After Hanuman Ansh Success: Why Internet Is Divided?

FAQs

Q1. Has Hanuman Ansh crossed ₹400 crore in India?

A1. No. Hanuman Ansh has crossed ₹400 crore worldwide, reaching ₹317.33 crore net in India by Day 56, as per Sacnilk reports.

Q2. How much has The Vvaan: Force of The Forest earned till now?

A2. The Vvaan reached ₹53.05 crore net in India and ₹69.07 crore worldwide by Day 7, as per Box Office India reports.

Q3. What are upcoming Bollywood mythological films?

A3. Rayamana Part 1, Mahavatar, and Jai Hanuman are some of the upcoming mythological films set for release in late 2026/27.