Prabhas' 'The Raja Saab' Faces Steady Decline at Indian Box Office
The Prabhas-led horror comedy 'The Raja Saab' continues to struggle significantly at the domestic box office, with its performance showing a concerning downward trend. According to early estimates from industry tracking sources, the film managed to collect a mere Rs 51 lakh in India net on its fourteenth day of release.
Total Collection Reaches Rs 142.71 Crore After 14 Days
With this latest addition, the cumulative total for 'The Raja Saab' now stands at approximately Rs 142.71 crore in India. This comes after the movie had earned around Rs 142.20 crore in its first thirteen days, indicating minimal growth as it enters its third week.
The decline has been consistent over recent days, with collections dropping from Rs 80 lakh on Day 12 to Rs 70 lakh on Day 13, before hitting the current low of Rs 51 lakh on Day 14. This pattern suggests diminishing audience interest and poor word-of-mouth impact.
Occupancy Rates Remain Alarmingly Low Across Languages
The film's theatrical occupancy paints a bleak picture, particularly in its core markets. On January 22, the Telugu version recorded an overall occupancy of just 14.13 percent, with show-wise breakdowns revealing:
- Morning shows: 15.67% occupancy
- Afternoon shows: 12.91% occupancy
- Evening shows: 13.61% occupancy
- Night shows: 14.33% occupancy
The situation appears even more dire in Hindi markets, where the overall occupancy stood at a dismal 4.29 percent. The detailed figures for Hindi shows include:
- Morning shows: 3.91% occupancy
- Afternoon shows: 4.94% occupancy
- Evening shows: 4.61% occupancy
- Night shows: 3.70% occupancy
Star-Studded Cast Fails to Boost Performance
Directed by Maruthi, 'The Raja Saab' features a prominent ensemble cast including Prabhas in the lead role alongside Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Boman Irani, and Riddhi Kumar. Despite the high expectations generated by this impressive lineup and the film's promotion as a large-scale horror comedy, audience reception has been overwhelmingly negative.
Social Media Reactions Highlight Widespread Disappointment
Online platforms are flooded with mixed to negative reviews from viewers who have expressed their dissatisfaction with various aspects of the film. One social media user commented extensively, stating:
"What an absolute mess that was. Did they forget the basics of story writing and filmmaking? Prabhas looked so fake and artificial, except in a couple of scenes where he was never in his element. The horrible face swap was particularly disappointing. While Zarina Wahab was superb as usual, Sanjay Dutt came across as loud but ineffective. And it's better not to discuss the female leads at all."
Another viewer echoed similar sentiments, noting:
"Even though the movie is hyped as a horror comedy, there isn't a single funny moment in the entire film. The production values resemble a drama junior set, with worse graphics. The three-minute trailer essentially contains the entire movie. There's no proper storyline, no comedy timing, no situational songs—everything feels completely messed up."
Future Prospects Appear Dim Amid Current Challenges
With consistently low occupancy rates and overwhelmingly poor audience feedback, 'The Raja Saab' appears to be facing an increasingly difficult road ahead. Industry analysts suggest that the coming days may witness even lower collections as negative word-of-mouth continues to spread and competing releases draw away potential viewers.
The film's performance stands in stark contrast to initial expectations, highlighting how even star-powered projects with substantial budgets can struggle when core elements like storytelling and execution fail to resonate with audiences.
