Prabhas' latest film The Raja Saab confronts a harsh box office reality in North America. The romantic horror entertainer appears headed for heavy losses in the region.
Disappointing North American Performance
The film released on January 9 with high expectations. It entered the crucial Sankranti holiday corridor banking on Prabhas' overseas popularity and the lucrative Telugu cinema window. However, the reception has proven disappointing for buyers.
Trade data reveals concerning numbers. The Raja Saab collected USD 2.33 million in North America through Friday. On Saturday, it added only USD 9,000, bringing the cumulative total to approximately USD 2.339 million.
The real problem lies in the break-even benchmark. The film needs to reach USD 10 million to break even in North America. With collections nearing saturation and weekday drops widening, recovery seems impossible.
Other Sankranti Releases Outperform
The performance becomes more apparent when compared to other Sankranti releases. Chiranjeevi's Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu released on January 12. It has already crossed USD 2.5 million in North America, overtaking The Raja Saab in just five days.
Strong family footfalls and festival momentum make Chiranjeevi's film the clear winner in the North American Sankranti slate according to trade circles.
Naveen Polishetty's Anaganaga Oka Raju also surprises the trade. The comedy entertainer opened on January 14 and crossed USD 1 million within four days. It comfortably overtook The Raja Saab's weekend pace despite being a smaller film in scale and budget.
Indian Collections Also Lag
Even Ranveer Singh and Aditya Dhar's Dhurnandhar continues to perform in its eighth week. The film added USD 75,000 on Saturday to its collection.
In India, The Raja Saab's numbers show similar struggles. Chiranjeevi's Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu amassed Rs 139.85 crore in five days. Meanwhile, The Raja Saab collected Rs 136.61 crore over nine days, highlighting the performance gap.
The Sankranti season typically brings strong box office results for Telugu cinema. This year, The Raja Saab's underperformance stands in stark contrast to other successful releases.
