Richa Chadha: Hanuman Ansh’s Rs 423 cr is no content landmark

One blockbuster doesn’t reset an industry. That is Richa Chadha’s view even as Hanuman Ansh crosses Rs 423 crore worldwide and continues running in theatres two months after release.

One hit, but not a wave

Hanuman Ansh is the kind of success producers dream about: a reported budget of around Rs 2 crore, a worldwide gross past Rs 423 crore, and a theatrical run that has already stretched beyond two months. Yet Chadha says the film should not be read as proof that 2026 is a landmark year for content-driven cinema.

In an interview with Zoom, she pushed back on the idea that the year has turned decisively in favour of smaller, story-first films. “No, 2026 is not a landmark year for content,” she said. If Hanuman Ansh is the reference point, she added, that is a separate case.

Mythology’s built-in advantage

Chadha argued that several titles being celebrated this year do not all prove the same point. Obsession is a Hollywood film, so it cannot be used as evidence of a local content shift. Mythological and religious stories, she said, already come with a wide safety net because audiences watch them as a habit.

Her larger point is that one or two outsize successes do not make a trend. For Chadha, the real signal would be:

• Consistent successes beyond a single mythological blockbuster.
• Financial backing for writers, not just acceptable budgets for a few lucky titles.
• Scripts strong enough to pull audiences without a built-in comfort zone.

“I feel better scripts and money for writers could lead us to the phase where content-driven cinema takes the lead,” she said.

The Pushing Buttons test

Chadha has backed story-first projects as an actor and through her production house, Pushing Buttons Studios. Her latest is Musafiri, an eight-episode YouTube series exploring stories from Mumbai, hosted, written and produced by her. It is streaming on Phull Stop, the channel she launched with Ali Fazal.

If Hanuman Ansh is this year’s box-office benchmark, Musafiri is a smaller data point from the other end: a creator-funded attempt to build an audience for people-driven stories without mythological cushioning.

Chadha’s stance is refreshingly clear: celebrate the hit, but don’t call the game changed until smaller, original films start winning on repeat.

Source: India Today