KATHMANDU, JANUARY 17, 2026 – The highly anticipated Telugu horror-comedy ‘The Raja Saab’, starring global superstar Prabhas, has completed its first week in theaters with a performance that has left trade analysts and fans deeply divided. Released on January 9, 2026, to coincide with the festive Sankranti window, the film was expected to be a massive comeback for Prabhas in the “family entertainer” genre. However, as of Saturday, January 17, the movie is facing a steep uphill battle to recover its astronomical production costs.
Budget and Financial Stakes: Produced by People Media Factory, The Raja Saab is reportedly mounted on a lavish budget of ₹400 to ₹450 crore. This massive investment covers high-end VFX, a star-studded cast including Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, and Malavika Mohanan, and a significant remuneration for Prabhas. To be declared a “hit,” the film needs to net at least its production cost in domestic markets—a target that currently looks increasingly difficult to achieve. Despite the theatrical struggle, the makers have cushioned the blow by selling the digital streaming rights to JioHotstar for a staggering ₹160 crore.
Box Office Performance (Day 1 to Day 9): The film started with a “bumper” opening, grossing over ₹100 crore worldwide on its first day. In India, the Day 1 net collection stood at an impressive ₹53.75 crore. However, the momentum crashed almost immediately.
Opening Weekend: The film collected approximately ₹109 crore net in India over its first three days.
The Weekday Slump: From Monday onwards, collections took a nosedive. By its first Monday (Day 4), the daily earning dropped to just ₹6.6 crore, and by the second Friday (Day 8), it hit a new low of approximately ₹3.27 to ₹3.50 crore.
Total Collection: As of today, the total India net collection stands at roughly ₹133.52 to ₹135 crore, with the worldwide gross hovering around the ₹191 crore mark.
Critical Reception and Challenges: The primary hurdle for The Raja Saab has been a wave of mixed-to-negative reviews. While fans have praised the “vintage Prabhas” look and his comedic timing, critics have panned the 183-minute runtime, calling the screenplay “loose” and the horror elements “inconsistent.” The film also faced stiff competition from Thalapathy Vijay’s ‘Jana Nayagan’ in the southern markets and the Chiranjeevi-starrer ‘Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu’, which reportedly performed much better in terms of occupancy. Additionally, a major piracy scare hit the film just days after its release, with reports of pirated versions being played even in international venues like a restaurant in the US, prompting the Hyderabad Cyber Police to take swift action.
The Road Ahead: With only about 31% of its budget recovered through theatrical net earnings so far, The Raja Saab is currently trending toward being one of the biggest financial risks for Tollywood in 2026. While the Sankranti holidays provided a minor cushion, the arrival of new releases like Sunny Deol’s Border 2 in the coming weeks is expected to further reduce its screen count. All eyes are now on Prabhas’s next projects, Fauzi and Spirit, as the industry looks to see if the “Rebel Star” can reclaim his undisputed box office crown.