Hanuman Ansh is not quite ready to leave the big screen behind. As the spiritual drama continues its theatrical run, the makers have confirmed that a sequel is in the works – and they already have some rather famous names in mind for possible cameos. Producer Namrata Singh has revealed that the team has reached out to some well-known devotees of Neem Karoli Baba, including Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli and Julia Roberts.

While there is no confirmation yet on whether any of them will actually appear in the film, Singh said some of them already knew about Hanuman Ansh. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Singh said, “I have reached out to some of them and they were aware of the film earlier.”

The possibility of seeing Anushka and Virat in a film about Neem Karoli Baba is particularly intriguing, given their known interest in spirituality and the saint’s teachings. Julia Roberts, too, has spoken publicly about her spiritual journey and her connection with Neem Karoli Baba.

But the makers are not looking to rush that part of the story. According to Singh, the second film will remain rooted in the Indian devotees and Neem Karoli Baba’s life in India.

“I am a devotee and so is Vishal (Chaturvedi). We have personal stories with Maharaj Ji – mine for 14 years and Vishal’s for 20 years,” she said. “We want to make films on our saints and take them to the world.”

Singh added that there are thousands of devotees whose lives were touched by Neem Karoli Baba, and their stories remain the priority for now. “The Kainchi story is about the Indian devotees,” she said.

The bigger international story, however, could arrive in the third instalment.

Singh said the planned third film will explore how Neem Karoli Baba’s spiritual influence reached the West, including figures such as Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and Julia Roberts. “However, we’ll touch on that later,” she said.

Meanwhile, director Vishal Chaturvedi has confirmed that the story will continue with Hanuman Ansh 2. The first film, which released on August 7, ended with enough of Neem Karoli Baba’s story still left to explore, and the sequel will take that journey further.

During a recent interaction with audiences at a multiplex in Agra, Chaturvedi revealed that the next film will travel across several locations associated with the spiritual leader. It will begin with Firozabad, where Neem Karoli Baba was born, before moving to Agra, Mathura and other places connected to his life.

The idea, the director explained, is to explore chapters that could not fit into the first film.

That larger plan isn’t new. Hanuman Ansh was conceived as the opening chapter of a trilogy, with the films inspired by Chaturvedi’s book Divine Detour. What began as a relatively quiet theatrical release gradually found its audience through word of mouth and went on to cross the Rs 60 crore mark in India, according to the makers.

The film’s collection stood at Rs 192 crore gross on Day 35, giving the sequel announcement another boost as Hanuman Ansh continues its run.

Source: India Today