Who Is Vihaan Shedge? The Young Actor Making Headlines as Teenage Baba Neem Karoli in Hanuman Ansh

At just a young age, Vihaan Shedge is beginning to attract attention for a role that demands both restraint and emotional depth. The young actor appears in Hanuman Ansh, Vishal Chaturvedi’s biographical-devotional drama inspired by the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba, popularly known as Maharaj Ji.

Vihaan plays the younger version of Maharaj Ji in the film, while Shobhinaw Satyaa portrays Neem Karoli Baba in the later phase of his life. The official Central Board of Film Certification record for Hanuman Ansh lists Shobhinaw Satyaa and Vihaan Shedge among the film’s main actors and identifies Vishal Chaturvedi as its director.

The casting has given Vihaan a particularly distinctive introduction to Hindi cinema: rather than appearing in a conventional mainstream commercial role, he is part of a story centred on spirituality, faith and the life of a revered Indian spiritual figure.

Vihaan Shedge’s Journey Before Hanuman Ansh

Vihaan is a Marathi child actor whose earlier screen appearance came in the 2025 Marathi film Zapuk Zupuk. Directed by Kedar Shinde, the film was released in India on April 25, 2025, and featured an ensemble cast led by Suraj Chavan, Jui Bhagwat and Indraneil Kamat. Vihaan is credited as Sasa in the film.

His involvement in Zapuk Zupuk is important because it shows that Hanuman Ansh is not his first experience in front of a film camera. He had already entered Marathi cinema before taking on the substantially different world of a Hindi devotional drama.

According to biographical information published by StarsUnfolded, Vihaan is from Pune, Maharashtra, and has also been associated with acting activities and theatre programmes at a young age. The publication further reports that he participated in Zee Marathi's Drama Juniors in 2024. These details come from secondary biographical reporting rather than an official biography, so they should be treated accordingly.

What Role Does Vihaan Play in Hanuman Ansh?

In Hanuman Ansh, Vihaan portrays Maharaj Ji during an earlier stage of the character's life. The film's available cast records specifically credit him as “Maharaj Jee - 13-year-old”, while Hunny Bakshi is credited as Maharaj Ji in the adult phase.

This distinction matters because the film follows Neem Karoli Baba across different periods rather than presenting the spiritual leader through a single actor throughout.

The film's official CBFC synopsis describes a young boy who travels across the country while searching for spiritual answers and ultimately discovers a path centred on serving humanity, feeding people and devotion to Ram.

BookMyShow's description similarly places the character's early life within a journey through North India, where the young seeker encounters saints, devotees and ordinary people before the events that lead to the name Neem Karoli Baba.

For Vihaan, that makes the role considerably different from a typical child-artist appearance. He is required to contribute to the early part of a character-driven spiritual narrative whose central figure later becomes a widely revered saint.

Hanuman Ansh Gives the Young Actor a Hindi-Cinema Opportunity

Hanuman Ansh was written and directed by Vishal Chaturvedi and produced under Swambhu Media Network, with the film receiving a U certificate from the CBFC. The certification record lists the film at approximately 150 metres of certified length and identifies it as a Hindi-language production.

The film was released theatrically in India on August 7, 2026, with Shobhinaw Satyaa, Vihaan Shedge, Chandan Anand and Purnima Tiwari among the principal cast.

Its theatrical performance has also given the project additional visibility. Contemporary trade coverage reported that the film began with a modest opening before experiencing a substantial rise in collections during its third and fourth weeks. By early September, multiple reports were tracking the film's rapid growth at the box office.

That wider attention has naturally brought the supporting performers into focus as well, including Vihaan.

Why Vihaan’s Role Stands Out

One of the more interesting aspects of Vihaan's casting is the age contrast built into the film. The story requires different actors to represent Maharaj Ji at different stages, allowing the narrative to move from the character's youth into adulthood.

Vihaan's performance has also received a positive mention from Film Information. In its August 7 review, the publication specifically described him as good in his portrayal of the 13-year-old Laxmi, the young figure associated with the later Neem Karoli Baba.

That review is worth noting because it provides an independent critical assessment rather than simply repeating the film's cast information.

From Sasa to Maharaj Ji: A Different Kind of Progression

Vihaan's two known film credits show an interesting early progression.

In Zapuk Zupuk, he appeared as Sasa in a Marathi comedy-drama featuring a large ensemble cast. A year later, he moved into Hanuman Ansh, a Hindi spiritual biographical drama built around the life and teachings of Neem Karoli Baba.

The transition is significant for a young performer because the two projects operate in very different cinematic spaces. His first credited film role was part of an entertainment-driven Marathi ensemble, while his more recent film places him inside a story rooted in spirituality and historical biography.

It would be premature to describe this as a major breakthrough solely on the basis of two film credits. However, Hanuman Ansh gives Vihaan an opportunity to work in a Hindi-language production and to portray a formative stage of a real spiritual figure, making the project a meaningful step in his early career.

The Celebrity Hour Take

Vihaan Shedge's story is worth following precisely because it is still at an early stage.

There is no need to attach the usual “overnight star” label to a young performer with a small filmography. What is more interesting is the variety in his first credited roles. Moving from Zapuk Zupuk to Hanuman Ansh shows an actor being introduced to different genres and storytelling environments at the beginning of his career.

His role in Hanuman Ansh is particularly useful in understanding how a biographical film can introduce a lesser-known young performer to a wider audience. The film's adult Maharaj Ji is played by established members of the cast, while Vihaan is responsible for representing the character at a much earlier stage of his journey.

For now, the strongest verified takeaway is simple: Vihaan Shedge is a young Marathi performer who has moved from an ensemble role in Zapuk Zupuk to portraying teenage Maharaj Ji in Hanuman Ansh. His growing visibility comes from the work itself, rather than from a heavily documented celebrity background.

That makes his next projects more relevant to watch than unverified claims about his personal life or future stardom.

What We Know About Vihaan Shedge So Far

• Profession: Child actor

• Hometown: Pune, Maharashtra, according to secondary biographical reporting.

• Earlier film: Zapuk Zupuk (2025), where he is credited as Sasa.

• Latest film: Hanuman Ansh (2026).

• Role in Hanuman Ansh: Teenage/13-year-old Maharaj Ji.

• Director of Hanuman Ansh: Vishal Chaturvedi.

• Adult Maharaj Ji: Hunny Bakshi, according to the film's cast records.

Sources & Verification

This report was prepared by cross-checking the available CBFC certification record for Hanuman Ansh with the film's publicly available cast information, independent film coverage and biographical reporting on Vihaan Shedge. His role in Hanuman Ansh and his earlier Zapuk Zupuk credit are supported by multiple sources. Biographical details such as his reported hometown and participation in Drama Juniors are treated as secondary-source information rather than independently confirmed first-party facts.