India, Sept. 2 -- When it was originally set to release in March, Yash's pan-India actioner Toxic was expected to go head-to-head with Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar 2. The crisis in the Middle East averted that clash as Toxic postponed its release. Eventually, as it released in August, Toxic had no competition, or so it thought. After a bumper start, the box-office fortunes of Toxic declined rapidly. On the other hand, Hanuman Ansh, a devotional film with no stars and a tiny budget, is now out-earning it in a massive upset.

Made on a budget of just Rs.2 crore, Hanuman Ansh had an inauspicious start at the box office, earning only Rs.10 lakh on its opening day. But it was after it completed three weeks in theatres that the film began to pick...