Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The thumping success of the Hindi devotional drama Hanuman Ansh, after a dismal opening, is nothing short of a miracle, says Dr Dhananjay Sharma, the grandson of Neem Karoli Baba, whose life inspired the film.
The biopic on the religious leader collected just ₹10 lakh on its opening day on Aug 7 and was dismissed as a major flop. However, a week later, it suddenly gained momentum and its box office collections reportedly reached around ₹168 crore, marking over 8,000% returns on the film made on a budget of just ₹2 crore.
Sixty-eight-year-old Dr Sharma, who retired from the Medicine Department of Hamidia Hospital, lives in Arera Colony. His father, Anek Singh Sharma, was one of the two sons of Neem Karoli Baba.
“I don’t have many personal memories of Baba. I was just 14 when he took Samadhi in Mathura. But yes, I have heard a lot about him from my father, mother and grandmother,” Dr Sharma told The Free Press Journal.
But he does remember one incident. “My grandfather and I were riding a cycle rickshaw in Agra. Suddenly, he asked the rickshaw puller to stop. He got down from the rickshaw and handed him a ₹50 note. When the rickshaw puller hesitated, he told him to go and take care of his ailing wife. Then, we hired another rickshaw and continued our journey. That was the time I realised that my Dadaji was not an ordinary person. He was a Sant, who knew more than what we can ever know,” he said.
Dr Sharma also recalls Neem Karoli Baba visiting their house in Arera Colony and staying there for ten days.
According to Dr Sharma, Hanuman Ansh accurately depicts the life of his grandfather. “The director had shown me the film before its release and obtained my consent,” he said, adding that when the film failed to draw audiences in its first week, the director sent him 50 tickets for free distribution.
Baba’s family formed a charitable trust in his name about two years ago. Recently, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the allotment of land to the trust for building an ashram dedicated to Baba near Ratibad.
“Once the formalities are complete, we will start building the ashram. It will be his fourth ashram in the country after Neem Karoli, Kainchi Dham and Vrindavan,” he said.
