# Ayushmann Khurrana wants more small-budget hits like Hanuman Ansh and Obsession

Published 2026-09-29T16:57:20Z

> At FICCI Frames, Ayushmann Khurrana urged the industry to make more small-budget films like Hanuman Ansh and Obsession, and said his next film, Udta Teer, marks his return to authentic stories.

Ayushmann Khurrana wants the film industry to back more low-cost projects that connect directly with audiences. Speaking at FICCI Frames, the actor named two recent surprise successes as models for what the business needs now: the Hindi film Hanuman Ansh and the Hollywood horror film Obsession.

"Hanuman Ansh and Obsession belong to two different worlds and are small-budget films, I think we need to make movies like that," he said. He added that filmmakers must keep budgets sensible and find a stronger bond with people, which he admitted sounds easy but is not. Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan was reportedly also part of the session, which looked at how the rules of the big screen are changing.

The numbers behind his two examples are remarkable. Hanuman Ansh was written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi and tells the story of Neem Karoli Baba. Reports say it cost just ₹2 crore and took only ₹10 lakh on its first day. It picked up speed after its third week and has since crossed ₹300 crore in India and run for 50 days. Obsession, the first film by young filmmaker Curry Barker, reportedly earned more than $300 million at the box office on a $700K budget.

Khurrana also talked about his own choices. He said he has treated the story as the real superstar ever since his first film. Across his last 20 or so films he has tried almost every genre, and now he wants to go back to what first made his name. "I'm going back to my core, which is authenticity," he said. He believes an authentic subject is what pulls audiences in.

That change starts with his next film, Udta Teer, which he called "a reverse uno" kind of project and "my genre". Reports describe it as a spy comedy, and it is set to reach theatres on October 9.

## Related titles
- [Hanuman Ansh](https://clapnumber.com/movies/hanuman-ansh)

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Source: https://clapnumber.com/news/ayushmann-khurrana-wants-more-small-budget-hits-like-hanuman-ansh-and-obsession
Retrieved: 2026-09-29