The film 'Hanuman Ansh,' shot on a budget of less than 20 million rupees, demonstrated impressive worldwide box office collections, exceeding 400 million rupees. By day 52, the film reached this mark globally, and in India alone, it earned over 300 million rupees in net profit.
Beyond the plot, the songs from the film have gained popularity among viewers. One such bhajan is 'Maine Tere Hi Bharose Hanuman, Sagar Mein Naiya Dal Dai.' This hymn attracted attention in America when an American performed it on an ektaara, and the video went viral on social media.
The interest in this story is not only related to a foreigner performing an Indian hymn. The performer himself, Alex Soderberg, has a very specific resume: he is a geologist, practices Vedic meditation, and is connected to kirtan.
Alex Soderberg—this American. According to information on his personal website, he began practicing Vedic meditation while studying geology. Later, he visited India to study Indian spiritual traditions, music, and kirtan. His website also indicates a connection to naad yoga and kirtan alongside Vedic meditation.
The Earth Tours website presents him as a geologist, Vedic meditation teacher, and kirtan leader. It also notes that as a geologist, he works with geological and natural landscapes in the southwestern part of America, while spiritual activities like meditation and kirtan are part of his pursuits.
Thus, this person, who studies rocks and geological structures during the day, maintains a deep connection with Indian mantras and devotional music.
Currently, Alex lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. According to his website, his family moved from Salt Lake City to Flagstaff at the end of 2024 and is now based there. Flagstaff, Arizona, is a mountain town known for its forests, mountains, and picturesque landscapes. Alex's work is also related to the nature and geology of the southwestern part of America.
According to Earth Tours, he has participated in programs related to travel and experiences in the natural areas of Arizona.
Sharing the video on Instagram, Alex stated that he wanted to watch the film 'Hanuman Ansh,' but it was not currently showing in his area. He could not see the movie in a cinema, but its soundtrack reached him. He particularly liked the track 'Maine Tere Hi Bharose Hanuman,' which is partly explained by the sound of the ektaara in the song. Alex mentioned that he also owns a small ektaara, after which he sang this hymn using his voice and the instrument. At the end of the video, he wrote 'Jai Shri Ram.'
The video shows Alex sitting and performing 'Maine Tere Hi Bharose Hanuman' on a traditional string instrument similar to an ektaara. His performance style attracted the attention of social media users. Reports indicate that the video was viewed over 1.5 million times. Many users highly praised his Indian pronunciation, vocal abilities, and affinity for Indian devotional music.
Notably, Alex's interest in Indian music is not limited to this one video. He was also listed in the program of a yoga center in Flagstaff as a kirtan leader. The event description mentioned that he conducts kirtans inspired by Indian folk and classical music and has experience studying musical and spiritual traditions while in India.
Following the appearance of Alex's video, Indian users also reacted. Many praised his song and interest in Indian music, while some invited him to visit India. Essentially, Alex's story goes beyond one viral video; he has long been associated with Indian spiritual traditions, mantras, meditation, and kirtan. Therefore, the hymn from 'Hanuman Ansh' became an additional opportunity for him to connect with Indian devotional music.