Indian cinema’s “Baahubali” star Prabhas has returned to theatres with his new film “The Raja Saab”, which released pan-India on Friday, 9 January. Expectations are high among fans, especially after Thalapathy Vijay’s “Jana Nayagan” was postponed. Due to this delay, box office hopes from this horror-comedy have increased.
Originally made in Telugu, The Raja Saab is expected to earn strongly in South Indian theatres on its opening day. However, its performance in the Hindi belt appears relatively weak. Advance bookings for the Hindi version show limited buzz, making word of mouth extremely important. Adding to the challenge, Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar continues its strong run, earning ₹4.25 crore even on its 35th day, making it difficult for The Raja Saab to secure screens and audience attention in the Hindi market.
A New Genre for Prabhas
Prabhas’ previous two films, Salaar and Kalki 2898 AD, were major successes. This is the first time the actor has stepped into the horror-comedy genre. While fan excitement remains strong, general audience hype is not as high as expected. Still, Prabhas’ star power is enough to ensure a solid opening at the box office.
Also Read-: The Raja Saab Movie Review: Prabhas Steps into a Risky Horror-Comedy Kingdom
Advance Booking Jumps 357% in the Last 24 Hours
Directed by Maruthi, The Raja Saab is made on a massive ₹300 crore budget. The film generated excitement at the time of its announcement, but weak promotions and its earlier clash with Jana Nayagan slowed its momentum. Now that Vijay’s film is stuck in legal issues with the censor board and did not release on 9 January, The Raja Saab has benefited significantly. Its advance booking has surged by 357% in the last 24 hours.
Advance Booking Collection Details
According to Sacnilk, The Raja Saab recorded a gross advance booking of ₹15.31 crore across all five languages before release, with 5.62 lakh tickets sold. Interestingly, until Thursday morning, the collection stood at just ₹3.35 crore. Including block seats, the total advance booking figure rises to ₹28.09 crore. However, the Hindi version contributed only ₹1.18 crore, reflecting weak pre-release buzz in the Hindi belt.
Screen Allocation Issues and Late Advance Booking
Due to the scheduled release of Jana Nayagan and the strong box office performance of Dhurandhar in the Hindi market, The Raja Saab initially struggled to secure enough screens. In many major cities, screens were allotted late, resulting in delayed advance bookings. After Vijay’s film was postponed, The Raja Saab managed to secure better screen counts not only in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but also across other southern states.
Box Office Prediction: Day 1 Collection
With Prabhas’ star power, wide release, and increased ticket prices in the Telugu market, The Raja Saab is expected to gain significantly from on-spot bookings as well. Trade estimates suggest the film could collect ₹55–60 crore net on Day 1 in India across all five languages. The Telugu version is expected to contribute the largest share, while the Hindi dubbed version may earn ₹5–7 crore net on its opening day.
Comparison with Stree 2
The Raja Saab is likely to register Prabhas’ sixth-biggest opening at the Indian box office. In the horror-comedy genre, it is expected to surpass Stree 2, which earned ₹51.80 crore on its opening day. However, it is important to note that Stree 2 was released only in Hindi.
Prabhas’ Top Indian Box Office Openings (Net)
- Baahubali 2 – ₹121.00 crore
- Kalki 2898 AD – ₹95.30 crore
- Salaar – ₹90.70 crore
- Saaho – ₹89.00 crore
- Adipurush – ₹86.75 crore
- Radhe Shyam – ₹43.10 crore
Can The Raja Saab Break Dhurandhar’s Stronghold?
The Raja Saab is heavily dependent on word of mouth. Beyond Telugu, the film must impress audiences in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam to perform strongly nationwide. Winning over Hindi audiences is especially crucial, as no film can achieve massive India-wide success without their support. Weekend growth is expected, but it will be interesting to see whether Prabhas can finally break the 36-day-old box office stronghold of Dhurandhar.