Hanuman Ansh is 'pan-international' film, its success gives hope: Kunal Kemmu

For Kunal Kemmu, the phrase ‘pan-India’ says as much about the business of a film as it does about the film itself. In an exclusive conversation with India Today Digital, the actor-filmmaker offered his take on the increasingly common label, and had a rather different description for the 2026 hit Hanuman Ansh – a film he believes has travelled well beyond the country and now falls under the "pan-international" category.As the Vishal Chaturvedi-directorial hit the Rs 400 crore mark at the global box office, Kemmu, who was promoting his recently released film, Vibe, said, “I don’t think it is a pan-India film, it has become a pan-international film. Everybody in the world is watching that film."His point was simple: there isn’t necessarily a creative formula that makes a film ‘pan-India’. The tag, according to him, is largely a trade term, driven by how a film performs across territories. But what happens when a story travels even further, finding audiences without being built around a conventional box office formula? That, Kemmu believes, is where the more interesting conversation begins.Why the success of films like Hanuman Ansh and Vibe matters?The conversation then moved to something closer to the heart of any filmmaker: what happens when a film succeeds simply because audiences connect with what it is offering?Taking films like Hanuman Ansh and Vibe into consideration, Kemmu spoke about what the success of such standalone films means to an artist. He said the success of content-driven films gives filmmakers and actors the confidence to keep taking risks and telling the stories they believe in. "It's what gives us hope. An artist's journey is filled with a lot of heartbreak at times, a lot of surprises, a lot of uphill battles. So, it's obviously endearing, heartwarming and confidence-inspiring to see that at the end of the day," Kemmu told us.He further said, “There are films that are purely based on content and resonate with audiences, and that goes a long way. They’re not just dictated by the so-called norms or the idea that there’s a formula for making a successful film.” Kemmu was also careful not to dismiss the conventional way of making films. Instead, he spoke about the need to leave room for different kinds of stories and artists. “It’s an artist who’s trying to put art out there. It will be received by different people in different ways, but we’ll still continue to keep doing it,” he said.What does 'pan-India' mean to Kunal Kemmu?Kemmu sees the ‘pan-India’ tag primarily through the lens of box office performance. He said the term is often used when a film manages to draw significant business from different territories across the country."The only way they say pan-India is when they get everything that is defined about Bollywood by the business that it does at the box office," he explained, adding, "So, if the numbers are good, pan-India is where every territory is kind of contributing towards that."But he doesn’t believe there’s a fixed formula behind it. "I don’t think there is a formula for that," he said, before turning to Hanuman Ansh as an example. For him, the film’s reach makes the pan-India label feel too limiting. "It has become a pan-international film. And that’s how art is. And there is nothing wrong about it," he said.Kemmu added that the term is ultimately a way for the trade to describe a film’s commercial potential.“It’s just a businessman’s way of saying that based on the history or the economics of certain films, this film or this star or this content will collect money from all over this country, from territories, that’s how they call it pan-India,” he said.Hanuman Ansh finds its audienceHanuman Ansh has had an unusual theatrical journey, growing from a muted opening into a sleeper hit that has held audiences for weeks. The spiritual drama, based on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, has now begun facing competition following the release of Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 3: The Conclusion on October 2.According to Sacnilk, Hanuman Ansh collected Rs 2.90 crore India nett on its eighth Thursday, October 1. Its Week 8 collection stood at Rs 29.20 crore, with 4,345 shows and 19 per cent occupancy that day. On a global level, the film's total collection now stands at Rs 423.26 crore gross.For Kemmu, though, the larger takeaway from such films isn’t just the number on the box office report. It’s the fact that audiences continue to make room for stories that don’t necessarily follow the industry’s prescribed formula.All about Kunal Kemmu’s VibeKemmu is currently promoting Vibe, his second directorial after Madgaon Express. The action-comedy follows two ordinary friends, Hardik and Bugs, whose lives are turned upside down when they’re pulled into a dangerous mission.The film stars Kemmu alongside Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava and debutant Vanshika Dhir. Preity plays Madam H, who recruits the unlikely duo for a mission linked to a threat against the country. It hit theatres on September 18.Vibe has collected Rs 20.05 crore worldwide in gross collections so far, including Rs 18 crore from India and Rs 2.05 crore overseas. Its India nett collection stands at Rs 15.15 crore across 22,276 shows.- Ends