‘Akela chana bhaad nahin phod sakta’: A Conversation about Community Collaboration with Team Hanuman Ansh

The auditorium at Seth M. R. Jaipuria School was charged with a spiritual atmosphere on the morning of 9 September 2026 as the School hosted a special interaction with the director and cast of the successful Bollywood film Hanuman Ansh (2026). The film team and the School have much in common: a commitment to the spirit of community collaboration, a dedication to upholding Indian culture and values, and an emphasis on spirituality. In a lively and engaging interaction that lasted for an hour and a half, these themes took centre stage.

The guests from Hanuman Ansh who graced the occasion included Dr. Vishal Chaturvedi (Director, Writer, and Producer), Shobhinaw Satyaa (Lead Actor), Purnima Tiwari (Actress), Sadhu Tiwari (Music Director and Singer), Rishi Pathak (Music Director, Singer, and Post Producer), Piyush Thakur (Executive Producer) and Ritish Kesharwani (Associate Editor). They were welcomed with a devotional chant of the Hanuman Chalisa, in which the whole audience participated with fervour. This was followed by the introduction of the guests, during which a special mention was made of the career transition of Dr. Chaturvedi from his medical background to the creative industry, which inspired the students to observe that it is never too late to follow one’s passion and dreams. Next was the traditional Lighting of the Lamp with the accompaniment of Sanskrit shlokas, after which the National Song was sung.

This was followed by a robust interaction between the Hanuman Ansh team and the audience, in which profound spiritual concepts were explored. The Principal, Ms. Promini Chopra, observed that several of the responses of the Hanuman Ansh team deeply resonated with the School. Being a School committed to realising Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yogic principle of ‘Conscious Transformation’, she remarked that ‘one of the objectives of Jaipuria School is to raise the level of consciousness of the entire community’. She attributed the recognition of Seth M. R. Jaipuria School by T4 Education among the World’s Top 10 Best School Prize in the ‘Community Collaboration’ category to this unique vision of transforming the entire community.

The Principal asked the guests about their experience with divinity in the process of making the film and the manifestation of divinity in the studio. The director answered by recounting several fascinating anecdotes during filming which affirmed the presence of a higher power. He also recounted that they regularly chanted the Hanuman Chalisa, a practice that infused a deep sense of spirituality amongst the Hanuman Ansh team. The director also spoke at length about the importance of perspective, in relation to which the Principal observed that it is the environment which shapes the perspective. She asked the team to share their thoughts about the environment of Seth M. R. Jaipuria School. The guests highly appreciated the spiritual aura of the School and commended the efforts taken to promote and celebrate Indian culture and values in the School. The actor Shobhinaw Satyaa said he was deeply moved when he entered the School and saw the inscription of the Shanti Mantra from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishads.

The students also had a meaningful interaction with the team. Aradhya Prakash (Grade 12) asked the actress Purnima Tiwari about the possibilities she sees in the students and the younger generation. The actress acknowledged that this was a profound question. She replied that the aim should be to remain connected with one’s culture, which in turn would help one to remain in communion with one’s soul. Responding to a question by Hridaan Dixit (Grade 11), Dr. Chaturvedi said that when one is conscious, it becomes clear that there is an intention behind every decision. He emphasised the importance of having intentions that transcend individual interests and serve the welfare of the broader community. He added that the education imparted at Jaipuria, where there is a strong emphasis on preserving cultural roots, has the strong potential to nurture individuals with the right intention.

Saadhya Rai (9D) asked Dr. Chaturvedi about what ‘community collaboration’ means in the collective enterprise of the filmmaking world. Dr. Chaturvedi reiterated that it is absolutely vital to prioritise community collaboration in society. He said that in the choice between jan kalyan and swa kalyan, between the welfare of the people and individual welfare, it is important to choose jan kalyan. He said that community collaboration is about working for jan kalyan. He further highlighted the importance of community collaboration in filmmaking. Every member and component of the movie is integral and indispensable to the whole film. If the songs are removed, or if the dialogues are presented without the audio component, the film would be incomplete. Every department and individual working on a film adds something of value to the film. Without the collaboration of everyone, something on as large a scale as a film simply cannot happen.  Community collaboration is indispensable since ‘Akela chana bhaad nahin phod sakta’.

Sadhu Tiwari, the music director and singer of Hanuman Ansh, enchanted the audience by leading the collective singing of the song ‘Parvati’ from the film. Shobinaw Satyaa reenacted with the audience a memorable dialogue from the film by adapting it for the School. Siddhi Misra (Grade 9) and Arya Vardhan Singh (Grade 11) impressed the director and the audience with their evocative poetry recitations. The guests were warmly felicitated with mementos by the School. In a touching moment, Dr. Chaturvedi touched the feet of the Principal and sought her blessings. The event beautifully reinforced, with a spiritual touch, the School’s vision of ‘Conscious Transformation’ of the community, reminding everyone that individual achievement should be superseded by jan kalyan.