At the box office, Hanuman Ansh and Toxic are currently moving in completely opposite directions.
Toxic began its theatrical journey as the bigger film, opening with a massive number of shows and strong occupancy. Hanuman Ansh, meanwhile, started quietly, with little buzz and limited screens.
But weeks later, the tables have turned.
On its 26th day, Hanuman Ansh collected Rs 8.50 crore net in Hindi - higher than the Rs 5.25 crore net collected by Toxic in Hindi on its seventh day.
The contrast is even clearer when one looks at the trajectory of the two films.
Toxic started at the top. It opened across more than 24,000 shows in India, but within less than a week, its show count had dropped by nearly 45%. Its occupancy too has seen a significant fall from its opening day.
Hanuman Ansh has travelled in the exact opposite direction.
The film opened with just 10% occupancy and a limited number of shows. But instead of fading away, it slowly began finding its audience. By its fourth week, its occupancy had climbed to 46%, while its number of shows had continued to increase.
In simple terms, Toxic started big and is coming down. Hanuman Ansh started small and is going up.
And that is what makes the film's box-office run remarkable.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says Hanuman Ansh has now taken over the business of Hindi films currently playing in theatres.
"Hanuman Ansh has taken over the business of all Hindi films in the marketplace. It started with eight lakhs on day one, and now it's touching Rs 50 crores. It is a huge achievement," he said.
Interestingly, the film did not have a smooth start. According to Adarsh, its first two weeks were weak before the film suddenly picked up momentum.
"The first two weeks were not so good. The first week was bad; the second week was total collapse. But from the third week onwards the film picked up. The fourth week is going on right now, and it's super strong."
The film has managed to hold its ground despite facing competition from several bigger releases.
"Hanuman Ansh is that one film that braved Spider-Man, braved Awarapan 2, braved Batwara 1947, and braved a mighty opponent called Toxic. Hanuman Ansh has overtaken the business of all films," Adarsh said.
For the trade analyst, the success of Hanuman Ansh is also a reminder that a film does not necessarily need big stars or a massive marketing campaign to find an audience.
"It's a huge success story, it's a game changer, it's an eye-opener, and it's a case study for the film industry, which believes marketing and stars can make a film. This film is made by a first-time director starring a first-time actor. Minimal cost of production, minimal spend on pre-release promotion - as good as nil."
Hanuman Ansh revolves around the early life of Laxman Das, who left home at the age of 13 after his mother's death and eventually became Neem Karoli Baba.
While Toxic is still far ahead in terms of its overall box-office collections, Hanuman Ansh is currently winning the momentum game.
One started at the top and is gradually coming down. The other started at the bottom and is steadily climbing up.
And as of September 1, that opposite trajectory has made Hanuman Ansh one of the biggest box-office stories currently playing out in Hindi cinema.
Also Read: "Pure Cinematic Magic": Madhur Bhandarkar Reviews Hanuman Ansh, Calls It A 'Case Study' For Bollywood
