It was derogatory: Hanuman Ansh director recalls bitter OTT rejection

Director Vishal Chaturvedi said an OTT platform rejected his pitch for Hanuman Ansh in derogatory terms. He said the snub strengthened his resolve to tell Neem Karoli Baba's story in cinemas.Vishal Chaturvedi talks about rejection faced by OTT platform..Hanuman Ansh director Vishal Chaturvedi has opened up about the bitter OTT rejection that fuelled his determination to bring the film to the big screen. Chaturvedi explained why the manner in which his work was rejected did not sit well with him. He said the language used was derogatory and reflected a certain “narrative” in the minds of those criticising his work.Speaking to India TV, Chaturvedi recalled the incident and said, “I had gone to pitch my story on an OTT platform, and there they asked me if I had an Indian story with international relevance. I narrated Maharaj Ji's story in such a way that I literally broke down.”Adding, “Mujhe laga jis tarah unhone reject kiya, jis bhaasha ka prayog kiya, woh thodi derogatory thi. Mere samband main nahi, kyunki hum toh reject hote rehte hain. Hum log toh filmmakers hain; hum toh 1000 baar reject hue hain. Jiss tareeke se inhone bola, mujhe laga inke dimaag main jo narrative hai, voh inke dimaag main kisi tareeke ka kooda bhara hai, obviously through that narrative. Uss narrative ko burst karna bahut zaroori hai.”(I felt that the way they rejected it, and the language they used, was slightly derogatory. I’m not talking about myself because we are used to being rejected. We filmmakers, have been rejected a thousand times. It was the way they said it that made me feel there was some kind of garbage filling their minds, which was obviously coming through that narrative. It is very important to burst that narrative.) “Meri iss film ko banana ki zimmedari isliye bhi ban jaati hai ki bharat ki jo sant mindset hai usko aap iss nazar se dekhte ho aur aap itne bade platform par baithe hue ho. Toh iska matlab yahi hai ki ye platform hamare desh ke liye kaam kar hi nahi rahe hai. Humein ab ye kahani bolna bahut zaroori hai. Basis which main usko lekar thoda adh gaya,” he added.(That is also why I feel responsible for making this film — because when you look at India’s saintly mindset through this lens, and when you are sitting on such a large platform, it makes me feel that these platforms are not really working for our country. It is very important for us to tell this story now. That is why I became a little stubborn about making it.) Following the sleeper-hit success of the film, the director called out the Hindi film industry for ignoring the extraordinary legacy of Neem Karoli Baba. He asked why major filmmakers never brought the 20th-century mystic’s global influence to the big screen.“Mujhe lagta tha ki itna zaroori hai na unki kahaani batana ki duniya ko kahani pata honi chahiye aur hamare bharat vaasiyo ko pata hona chahiye ki ek 20 century ke sant ne 21 sadi ko badal diya. Ki aapke itne bade founders and conglomerates voh unse influenced hain. Arguably, Apple ka logo bhi unke inspired hai. Aise vyakti ki kahani aap kyun nahi bol rahe ho. I want to ask Bollywood ki apne mujhse pehle ye kahani kyun nahi boli,” he said.(I felt it was so vital to tell his story because the world needs to know it, and our fellow Indians must realize that a 20th-century saint transformed the 21st century. Massive founders and global conglomerates were deeply influenced by him; arguably, even the Apple logo drew inspiration from him. Why aren't you telling the story of such a figure? I want to ask Bollywood: why didn't you tell this story before me?)That initial snub paved the way for an extraordinary theatrical run. Released on August 7, the spiritual drama opened to a modest Rs 10 lakh. Driven by organic word-of-mouth, it collected Rs 1.08 crore in week one and Rs 40 lakh in week two, before exploding in its third week with a massive Rs 10.40 crore haul, eventually crossing Rs 61 crore nett by the end of week four.Written and directed by Chaturvedi, Hanuman Ansh chronicles the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaj Ji). The film stars Shobhinaw Satyaa and Vihaan Shedge portraying the spiritual guru across different phases, alongside Chandan Anand, Purnima Tiwari, Anil K Rastogi, and Gulshan Pandey in pivotal roles.- EndsPublished By: Prachi aryaPublished On: Sep 5, 2026 11:05 IST