Box office stories usually follow a script. Big star, big budget, big opening. This one tore the script up.
Hanuman Ansh, a devotional drama nobody was really betting on, has now gone past Bhooth Bangla in North America. And Mirzapur The Movie has quietly climbed into the top three there as well.
The North America Numbers 🇺🇸
Here's the setup. Koimoi reports that, apart from Dhurandhar 2, no Bollywood film has crossed even $5 million in the USA and Canada this year. So the bar for "doing well" over there is pretty different from the one at home.
Within that world, the two newcomers on the list are Mirzapur The Movie and Hanuman Ansh. Both beat expectations, and both are still running in theatres.
Who's Where on the List
Mirzapur The Movie grabbed the third spot with $3.34 million in 28 days. Hanuman Ansh sits fourth with $2.47 million in just 21 days, overtaking Bhooth Bangla at $2.3 million, which slips to fifth.
Quick note, because the headline can confuse people. The "top 3" for Mirzapur here means North America's Bollywood list. Worldwide, the ranking looks different, and we'll get to that.
| Rank (North America) | Film | Gross | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Dhurandhar 2 | $28.64 million | n/a |
| Third | Mirzapur The Movie | $3.34 million | 28 |
| Fourth | Hanuman Ansh | $2.47 million | 21 |
| Fifth | Bhooth Bangla | $2.3 million | n/a |
How It Got There
Let me be honest, the early signs were quiet. Then word of mouth kicked in. Hanuman Ansh had already crossed $1.05 million in North America in just six days, per Prathyangira Cinemas, and it hasn't really stopped since.
Wait, What Is Hanuman Ansh?
If you haven't heard of it, you're forgiven. This wasn't a loud, hyped release.
The Story and the Team
The film follows a grieving boy who seeks God in the hope of meeting his departed mother, and through that search he learns to serve humanity with love, food and silent blessings, becoming "Hanuman Ansh," Neem Karoli Baba. It's directed and written by Vishal Chaturvedi, runs about two and a half hours, and was produced under Swambhu Media Network and Holy Cow Home Productions.
The cast is led by Shobhinaw Satyaa as Baba Neeb Karori, alongside Chandan Anand, Nikhil Dubey, Daiwik Bhanushali and Mannish Chaudhary, among others. Music is by Sadhu Sushil Tiwari.
Release Dates and Budget
It hit theatres in India on August 7, 2026, with a limited US release following on September 11. As for budget, there's no official figure out there. Trade sites list it as TBA, which tells you this was never a loud, expensive launch.
The Comeback That Shocked Everyone
Here's the thing. The weekly numbers read like a different film in each row.
| Run | Collection (India) |
|---|---|
| First two weeks | ₹1.48 crore |
| Week 3 | ₹10.40 crore |
| Week 4 | ₹61 crore |
| Week 5 | ₹90.25 crore |
Read that again. Under ₹1.5 crore in two weeks, then ₹90 crore in a single week. That's where it gets interesting, because a turnaround like that almost never happens.
Worldwide, It Got Even Bigger
On day 41, Hanuman Ansh hit ₹300.11 crore worldwide and passed Bhooth Bangla's ₹292.64 crore, becoming Bollywood's third highest-grosser of 2026. At that moment, Mirzapur The Movie stood at ₹289.99 crore.
By day 46 it had crossed ₹366 crore globally, sitting behind only Dhurandhar 2 and Border 2 on the 2026 chart. That's a devotional drama with no official budget announced, outgrossing a film that reportedly cost ₹120 crore.
And What About Bhooth Bangla and Mirzapur?
Fair question to raise, so let's treat both with respect.
Bhooth Bangla
Akshay Kumar's horror comedy, directed by Priyadarshan, released April 17, 2026 and reportedly cost ₹120 crore. It got mixed reviews and finished with a worldwide gross reported at around ₹292 crore. Still a big number. It's just that Hanuman Ansh walked past it.
Mirzapur The Movie
The big-screen version of the hit franchise is having a strong run too. Koimoi noted that by day 13 it had beaten Aamir Khan's first ₹200 crore net grosser in India. And its $3.34 million in North America is the best of this trio.
So nobody's failing here. It's more that three films are all having good runs, and one of them is having a historic one.