Who is Anupriya Nagar? 21-year-old who used British part-time savings to back ₹200 crore hit 'Hanuman Ansh'

At just 21, Anupriya Nagar took an unusual path into the film industry. After studying economics at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, she became the producer of the devotional drama Hanuman Ansh, a film that turned out to be one of the unexpected box office successes of 2026.

A film on the life of spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba has now crossed borders ₹200 crore at the box office.

Nagar joined the project when production was already complete and the team was looking for funds to complete post-production. She said she decided to put her personal savings from her time in the UK into the film after developing a strong emotional connection to the subject.

Speaking to news agency ANI about the project in Uttar Pradesh, she said, “Three women produced this film and I’m the youngest. I joined during post-production. The team told me that the film was shot but they didn’t have funds for post-production. I put all my savings into this film because I felt a strong emotional connection with it. It’s a very emotional project for me.”

Who is Anupriya Nagar?

Nagar was born in Mumbai before moving to the UK to study economics at the University of Bath. Her social media profiles identify her as an economist, artist and film producer.

Her connection with art began in childhood. She began performing her artwork at the age of 12 and later became involved in leadership roles across art, dance and business companies at the University of Bath.

She was also associated with the university’s Women in Business Society and took on various student leadership responsibilities. Her academic work has included research into innovative ecosystem banking.

Nagar invested her British savings in the film

The subject of the film became the focus of extensive research prior to production. Nagar said the team spent about a year studying the life of Neem Karoli Baba, visiting places associated with him and meeting people who knew or spent time with him.

Research took the team to places including Chitrakoot and Vrindavan as they worked on the project.

Nagar entered the production at the post-production stage, when the film had already been shot but additional funding was needed. She subsequently invested her own savings because she felt personally connected to the story.

Explaining her motivation, she said, “Maharaji (Neem Karoli Baba) has inspired so many foreigners like Larry Brilliant and Steve Jobs, but very few people in India know about Maharaj Ji. I want people to know his life story and visit his ashram. There is also a misconception that the entire film was produced by me, which is not true. We have invested full one-third of the money in the film. Yes, we have invested full one-third of the money in the film. The team believes that it is not nothing but a miracle of Maharaj Ji that the film is doing so well…”

Hanuman Ansh was produced under Swambhu Media Network. The names of Nagara, Ragini S, Namrat G Singh and director Vishal Chaturvedi are publicly available among the film’s producers.