The Raja Saab (also stylized as The RajaSaab) is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language fantasy horror comedy film that was theatrically released worldwide on January 9, 2026, coinciding with the Sankranti festival. Directed by Maruthi in his ambitious genre shift, it marks Prabhas’s first full-fledged horror-comedy and stars him in the lead.Here are the full details:Plot SummaryThe story follows Raju (aka RajaSaab, played by Prabhas), who cares for his Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother Gangamma. She holds onto memories of her husband, Pekamedala Kanakaraju (Sanjay Dutt), an exorcist believed to be in exile. Raju embarks on a quest to find his grandfather, encountering romance (with characters like a devout nun Bessy and Bhairavi), supernatural secrets in a haunted ancestral property (an old cinema theatre/mansion), paranormal chaos, family revelations, and a climactic battle involving reality-warping powers. The narrative blends horror, comedy, romance, and fantasy, with emotional family moments and eerie twists.CastPrabhas as Raju / RajaSaab (lead, in a dual-ish role with mass elements)
Sanjay Dutt as Pekamedala Kanakaraju (powerful antagonist/exorcist)
Malavika Mohanan as Bhairavi (her Telugu debut)
Nidhhi Agerwal as Bessy
Riddhi Kumar as Anitha
Boman Irani as Specialist Padmabhushan
Zarina Wahab as Gangamma / Ganga Devi
Supporting: Samuthirakani, Vennela Kishore, Brahmanandam, Yogi Babu, VTV Ganesh, Satya, and others
Crew & ProductionDirector & Writer: Maruthi
Producers: People Media Factory (TG Vishwa Prasad) & IVY Entertainment
Music: Thaman S (singles include “Rebel Saab”, “Sahana Sahana”, “Raja Yuvaraje”, and “Nache Nache”)
Cinematography: Karthik Palani
Editing: Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao
Key Highlights: Massive production with one of India’s largest indoor sets (a full haveli in Hyderabad), extensive VFX (nearly 300 days), and filming locations including Greece for a song.
Release & Other DetailsRuntime: Approximately 3 hours 10 minutes (189 minutes)
Languages: Released in Telugu, with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil (Jan 10), Kannada, Malayalam, and more
Certification: U/A 16+
Budget: Reported around ₹400–450 crore (lavish scale with heavy VFX)
OTT: Digital streaming rights sold to JioHotstar for ₹160 crore (expected post-theatrical run, possibly late February 2026 or later)
Sequel: Announced in the end credits — The RajaSaab 2: Circus 1935 (not a direct continuation)
Reception & Box Office (as of Jan 9, 2026)The film opened to massive fan hype and packed theatres (especially in Telugu states), with strong advance bookings and premieres. Early collections were solid (₹12–20 crore+ in India on Day 1, with overseas strength), driven by Prabhas’s stardom.However, reviews are mixed to negative overall:Praised for Prabhas’s energetic performance, vintage comedy style, grand visuals, Thaman’s music (especially climax portions), and emotional family scenes.
Criticized for weak screenplay, messy execution, tonal imbalance, stretched runtime, inconsistent horror/comedy, underwritten female roles, and outdated direction.
Many call it a one-time “mass entertainer” for die-hard Prabhas fans, but not a cohesive hit like his past blockbusters.
