Actor Richa Chadha has a different take on whether 2026 has been a landmark year for content-driven cinema. she believes it may be too early to conclude that the Indian film industry is witnessing a wider shift in audience preferences While Hanuman Ansh has emerged as one of the biggest surprise successes of the year. She also decoded the film’s success and shared what she believes could help Indian cinema become more driven by strong content and scripts.
Following the film’s success, the makers announced a sequel. The film’s success has also led SonyLIV to announce a series on the life of Neem Karoli Baba, although the cast and release date are yet to be revealed. Hosted, written and produced by Richa, the eight-episode series is available on Phull Stop, the new YouTube channel launched by the actor couple.
Musafiri is the latest project from Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s home banner, Pushing Buttons Studios, bringing together travel, personal experiences and the couple’s interest in exploring the city they call home. The film’s producer, Anupriya Nagar, revealed that the sequel’s budget will not be increased to ₹ 20 crore despite the success of the first part, as doing so could lead to unnecessary use of VFX.
Richa disagreed with the idea that 2026 has been a landmark year for content and further decoded the success of Hanuman Ansh. Vishal Chaturvedi’s Hanuman Ansh, based on the life and teachings of spiritual guru Neem Karoli Baba, has emerged as one of the biggest surprise successes of 2026. Made on a budget of around ₹ 2 crore, the film crossed ₹ 300 crore in India and ₹ 400 crore worldwide within eight weeks of its theatrical run. Even with major releases such as The Paradise, The Vvaan – Force of the Forest and Drishyam 3 arriving in theatres, Hanuman Ansh has continued to record steady collections. As of October 5, the film has crossed ₹ 423 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.
What else has worked this year? Obsession is Hollywood, so we cannot compare our films to theirs. Mythological stuff does relatively well. Be it religious or mythological, it is safe for everyone to see. Yeh toh log dekhte hi hain. It is early to say ki kuch accha ho raha hai (They are bound to watch this. It is too early to say that something good is happening). The devotional drama, which opened to a relatively quiet response, gradually gained momentum through strong word of mouth and continued to attract audiences weeks after its release.
She said, “If it is in the context to Hanuman Ansh, that’s a separate thing. She further suggested what could help the Indian film industry become more content-driven and said, “I feel better scripts and money for writers could lead us to the phase where content-driven cinema takes the lead.
The idea for Musafiri took shape during Richa’s journey into motherhood.
The actress has previously shared that becoming a mother made her look at her surroundings differently and sparked a curiosity to discover more about the city where she had built her home, career and family.
