The Raja Saab, starring Prabhas, has made a thunderous entry at the box office, emerging as one of the biggest openers of the Sankranti festive window. The film, directed by Maruthi Dasari, marks a tonal shift for the actor, blending horror, comedy and period drama in a single narrative.
The film clocked a strong opening day across key domestic markets, with trade estimates indicating a robust all-India and overseas response driven largely by fan turnout and advance bookings. Southern circuits, particularly Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, reported packed shows through the day, reaffirming Prabhas's enduring box office pull despite recent mixed theatrical outings.
However, the initial euphoria has been tempered by sharply divided audience reactions. While fans have praised Prabhas's vintage-inspired look and screen presence, sections of viewers and critics have flagged issues related to pacing, runtime and visual effects. Social media platforms have been flooded with contrasting opinions, turning the film into a subject of intense online debate within hours of release.
Amid the feedback, reports suggest the makers are considering minor trims and content adjustments in the coming days to improve narrative flow. The production team has also clarified that a briefly missing scene featuring Prabhas was the result of a technical issue and has since been restored in select versions, attempting to address fan concerns swiftly.
The release has also been accompanied by controversy outside cinema halls. Videos of overzealous fan celebrations inside theatres have gone viral, prompting calls for restraint. Separately, allegations around paid social media reviews have surfaced online, though no official complaint has been registered so far.
Hike halted by court
Adding a legal dimension to the release, the Telangana High Court has put on hold a government order permitting a temporary hike in ticket prices for the film, citing procedural lapses. The move has had a direct bearing on premium show pricing during the crucial opening weekend.
Despite the mixed discourse, the makers have already confirmed plans to expand The Raja Saab into a franchise, announcing a sequel currently titled The Raja Saab Circus 1935, with Prabhas set to reprise his role. The announcement signals confidence in the property's long-term commercial potential.
As the film settles into its extended weekend run, industry watchers will be closely tracking whether strong openings can convert into sustained collections, or if word-of-mouth will cap its momentum. For Prabhas, The Raja Saab represents both a commercial test and a genre experiment at a critical phase of his career.
After long time Prabhas picked up interesting movie and has done his best. However, he fails to make the film goers like the narrative. Sanjay Dutt and others have done good job and succeed in impressing the viewers. The Raja Saab has rich production values and VFX is the highlight in the technical front, say the critics.
