, based on the life of spiritual figure Neem Karoli Baba, has emerged as a notable low-budget box-office success in 2026. According to Sacnilk, the spiritual biographical film has grossed over ₹377.05 crore worldwide as of Day 49/50.
The film was reportedly made on a budget of around ₹2 crore, putting its reported worldwide gross at a multiple of its production cost. Hanuman Ansh initially opened slowly but gained momentum through word-of-mouth and has continued its theatrical run.
The film’s performance adds to a growing list of Indian movies that have delivered substantial box-office collections despite being made on relatively modest budgets. Several of these films have drawn on mythology, spirituality, folklore or culturally rooted stories, while others have succeeded through their genre and word-of-mouth.
Here are five examples, including Hanuman Ansh, that have recorded notable box-office performances against their reported production budgets.
Based on the life of spiritual figure Neem Karoli Baba, Hanuman Ansh reportedly had a production budget of around ₹2 crore.
The film initially had a slow start before gaining momentum through word-of-mouth. Despite not featuring a major star in the lead, it has continued its theatrical run and recorded a substantial worldwide collection.
According to Sacnilk, Hanuman Ansh has grossed over ₹377.05 crore worldwide as of Day 49/50.
Rishab Shetty’s revolves around folk beliefs, Karnataka’s culture and the relationship between humans and nature. By bringing local traditions and spirituality to the big screen, the film showed how a regional story could find audiences across India.
Made on a reported budget of ₹16 crore, Kantara grossed ₹407 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.
Starring Nikhil Siddhartha, Karthikeya 2 combines mythology, history, mystery and adventure. The film explores mysteries associated with Lord Krishna while presenting the story through an adventure-thriller format.
Its strong word-of-mouth helped it reach audiences beyond its original Telugu market.
Made on a budget of around ₹15 crore, the film grossed ₹117.87 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.
Prashanth Varma’s Hanu-Man blends Indian mythology with the superhero genre. The film draws on the devotion and powers associated with Lord Hanuman while presenting the story through a contemporary superhero narrative.
Released in 2024, the film emerged as a major box-office success.
According to Sacnilk, Hanu-Man was made on a reported budget of ₹40 crore and grossed ₹295.29 crore worldwide.
Based on the mythological story of Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar, Mahavatar Narsimha brought an ancient religious tale to the big screen through animation.
The film attracted attention for presenting the well-known legend with a modern visual treatment.
According to Sacnilk, the film was made on a budget of around ₹40 crore and grossed ₹326.82 crore worldwide.
Vijay Sethupathi’s Maharaja was another example of a relatively small-budget film becoming a major box-office success.
Reports put its production budget at around ₹20-30 crore, while its worldwide gross was close to ₹199 crore.
The Tamil thriller received strong word-of-mouth and later found an even wider audience through its streaming release.
