Hanuman Ansh nears the Rs 300 crore mark as it completes 50 days in theatres

Hanuman Ansh is still drawing audiences to cinemas as it completes 50 days on the big screen. The devotional drama added roughly Rs 3 crore on its eighth Friday, and it is now closing in on the Rs 300 crore mark at the Indian box office.

The exact total depends on who is counting. One estimate puts the India nett collection at Rs 277.25 crore, while another places it higher at Rs 291.53 crore nett, which works out to Rs 344.07 crore gross. That second count says the day 50 figure of Rs 3.35 crore was only 4.28 percent lower than the previous day's Rs 3.5 crore, even though the film reportedly lost close to 3,000 shows to The Vvaan and other releases.

The run looks even more impressive given how it began. By both sets of week-wise numbers, the film made only around Rs 1 crore in its first week and even less in its second. Reports credit strong word of mouth and social media buzz for the turnaround. Collections crossed Rs 10 crore in week three, jumped to around Rs 60 crore in week four and peaked in week five at between Rs 84.75 crore and Rs 90.25 crore, depending on the estimate.

The economics are just as striking. The film was reportedly made for just Rs 1.8 crore, with a marketing spend said to be almost negligible, and reports put its returns at more than 16,000 percent. It has reportedly earned a super duper hit verdict. According to reports, the film is based on Neem Karoli Baba and was written, directed and co-produced by Dr. Vishal Chaturvedi.

The big question now is how far Hanuman Ansh can go once it reaches Rs 300 crore. Reports suggest its staying power will be tested by Ajay Devgn's Drishyam: The Conclusion, which is expected to be the next major box office draw.