21-year-old Anupriya Nagar backs Hanuman Ansh, film crosses ₹200 crore

A 21-year-old economics graduate has emerged as one of the producers behind one of 2026's unlikeliest box-office successes. Anupriya Nagar, who studied at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, backed the devotional drama Hanuman Ansh, which has now crossed the ₹200 crore mark.

Nagar was born in Mumbai and moved to the UK for her degree. Her social media profiles describe her as an economist, artist and film producer. Her engagement with the arts dates back to childhood: she began exhibiting her artwork at 12 and later held leadership positions in art, dance and business societies at Bath, including an association with the university's Women in Business Society. Her academic research has covered innovative ecosystem banking.

She entered Hanuman Ansh only after production had wrapped, when the team was seeking funds to complete post-production. She said she chose to commit her personal savings from her time in the UK after forming a strong emotional attachment to the subject.

"Three women have produced this film, and I am the youngest. I joined during post-production. The team told me that the film had been made, but they did not have the funds for post-production. I put all my savings into this film because I felt a strong emotional connection to it. It is a very emotional project for me," she said.

The film traces the life of spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba. Its makers spent about a year researching his life, travelling to locations linked to him, including Chitrakoot and Vrindavan, and meeting people who had known him.

Nagar said she wanted Indian audiences to learn more about Neem Karoli Baba, noting his influence on figures such as Larry Brilliant and Steve Jobs. She also sought to correct the impression that she had financed the entire film, stating that she contributed one-third of the budget. According to her, the investment has been recovered and the film continues to perform well — an outcome the team attributes to what she called a miracle of Maharaj Ji.

Hanuman Ansh was produced under Swambhu Media Network. Publicly available credits list Nagar, Ragini S, Namrata G Singh and director Vishal Chaturvedi among its producers.