The unexpected success of devotional drama 'Hanuman Ansh' has also sparked curiosity about its planned sequels, particularly whether some of Neem Karoli Baba's well-known devotees could appear in the franchise.
Among the names being discussed are Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hollywood actor Julia Roberts. Producer Namrata Singh has now revealed that the filmmakers have approached some of Baba's celebrity followers about the possibility of being part of the films.
Celebrity devotees could appear later
Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Namrata said 'Hanuman Ansh' was planned as a trilogy based on Vishal Chaturvedi's book, 'Divine Detour: That Changed My Life'.
Asked specifically about Anushka, Virat and Julia Roberts appearing in the sequel, Namrata said, “I have reached out to some of them, and (they) were aware of the film earlier.”
However, the filmmakers do not plan to bring the international celebrity devotees into the story immediately. According to Namrata, the second film will remain focused on Baba's journey in India, while the third instalment will explore his influence beyond the country.
“There are thousands of devotees whose life he touched in India and they come first, without doubt. The Kainchi story is about the Indian devotees. The third film will focus on how he put India on the global map by spiritual energy that he transferred to the foreigners, be it Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, Julia Roberts, etc. However, we'll touch on it later (in the third part),” she said.
What the trilogy will explore
The first film traces the early life of Lakshmi Narayan in pre-Independence India. Following his mother's death, he leaves home in search of God and travels through North India before eventually becoming Neem Karoli Baba.
Shobhinaw Satyaa plays the lead role, with Chandan Anand, Anil Rastogi, Sugandha Malhotra, Bhagvandas Patel, Neha Paranjpe, Uday Sinh Rajput, Purnima Tiwari and Gautam Tripathi also part of the cast.
Released in theatres on August 7, the film initially had a slow run before gaining momentum through word of mouth. According to Sacnilk, it has collected Rs 173.63 crore net. The film was released worldwide on September 11, with Hombale Films handling distribution.
The film's team recently met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had earlier attended a special screening and described it as a must-watch spiritual film.