The Raja Saab Box Office Slump: Why Prabhas’s Horror-Comedy is Failing the Litmus Test!

The "Rebel Star" Prabhas is no stranger to massive openings, but his latest outing, The Raja Saab, is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Despite a thunderous $100$ crore global opening, the film has witnessed a staggering decline, leaving trade analysts and fans questioning its box office sustainability.

As of January 16, 2026, the film's first-week trajectory suggests a "shocking collapse" rather than a steady run. Here is a deep dive into the numbers, the competition, and what went wrong.

The Numbers: A Week of Diminishing Returns

While a ₹100 crore opening day is a dream for most, for a Prabhas-starrer with a reported ₹400 crore budget, it was merely the starting line. However, the momentum vanished almost instantly.

• First Week Total: As of Day 7, The Raja Saab has grossed approximately ₹191 crore worldwide.
• The ₹200 Crore Hurdle: The film failed to hit the psychological benchmark of ₹200 crore in its opening week, a feat usually achieved by Prabhas's films within the first 3–4 days.
• Domestic Struggle: In India, the film has netted roughly ₹130 crore, with a worrying 90% drop in collections by its first Monday.

Comparison: Falling Behind "Adipurush" and "Saaho"

The most alarming trend for the makers is how The Raja Saab stacks up against Prabhas’s previous "divisive" hits. Even films that faced heavy critical backlash, like Adipurush and Saaho, showed more resilience at the ticket window.

Film	Day 7 Global Gross (Approx)	Difference vs. The Raja Saab
Saaho	₹300+ Crore	+ ₹110 Crore
Adipurush	₹300+ Crore	+ ₹110 Crore
The Raja Saab	₹191 Crore	-

 

Analysts point out that The Raja Saab is currently lagging ₹110 crore behind both these films at the same stage. Unlike his previous action spectacles, the horror-comedy genre has failed to draw the repeat "mass" audience required to sustain such a high-budget project.

Regional Rivalry: Chiranjeevi Takes the Lead

The slump is further magnified by the explosive performance of Chiranjeevi’s "Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu." Released just days after The Raja Saab, the Megastar's film has completely hijacked the Telugu box office.

• 4x Daily Collections: Reports indicate that Chiranjeevi’s film is currently outearning The Raja Saab by a ratio of 4:1 in daily collections.
• Sankranti Dominance: While The Raja Saab was expected to be the "Sankranti Winner," the audience shift toward Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu has led to canceled shows and screen replacements for the Prabhas-starrer in several territories.

Why is "The Raja Saab" Slumping?

Several factors have contributed to this unexpected box office "crash and burn":

1. Genre Mismatch: Fans accustomed to seeing Prabhas in "larger-than-life" roles (Salaar, Kalki 2898 AD) found the horror-comedy shift jarring.
2. Runtime Backlash: The original 3-hour runtime was criticized for being "boring and stretched," leading the makers to rush a "trimmed version" to theaters—but the damage to word-of-mouth was already done.
3. The "Festive" Excuse: Director Maruthi stirred controversy by claiming audiences were in a "festive mood" and failed to see the film's "layered narrative," a defense that has been largely mocked on social media.

The Verdict

With Hindi shows already being canceled in Northern belts and replaced by holdover hits like Dhurandhar, the road ahead for The Raja Saab looks bleak. Unless the upcoming weekend shows a miraculous recovery, the film is on track to be one of the biggest box office disappointments of 2026.