The new year's cinematic offerings have begun with a film that leaves audiences bewildered and critics reaching for their strongest coffee. Prabhas' latest horror-comedy, 'The Raja Saab', alongside Sanjay Dutt, has landed in theatres, and it's a spectacle that prompts one to question the creative decisions behind it. The film is being described as a terrible cliche, with some arguing it's even worse than the divisive 'Brahmāstra', which at least boasted a memorable soundtrack.
A Parade of Uninspired Cliches
The film seems to function as a checklist of tired tropes from various genres. The central setting is a haunted mansion with echoes of 'Hotel California'—characters find they can check in but never truly leave. A peculiar detail is the three heroines, who undergo a complete wardrobe change in virtually every scene. The mansion also features a Sphynx cat that roams without purpose.
The horror elements feel heavily borrowed. There's a 'rakt pishaach' (blood demon) living in a well that conveniently appears anywhere, a clear imitation of the horror film 'Tumbbad'. Sanjay Dutt plays the evil, greedy grandfather who is also a hypnotist. The film pays a clumsy homage to 'Harry Potter' by bringing chess pieces to life as soldiers.
Problematic Themes and Failed Humor
Beyond its narrative flaws, the film exhibits a casual misogyny that is hard to ignore. Prabhas' character, the quintessential 'raja beta', seduces three women merely by existing, a regressive trope that feels outdated. The attempted comic relief, a sidekick 'mama', fails to generate any laughs.
The visual effects are another sore point. Boman Irani's character absurdly explains the unconvincing CGI by suggesting the use of 'self-hypnosis' to combat a ghost. One of the most bizarre sequences involves a remix of a Bappi Lahiri song where Prabhas dances in a shiny jacket, surrounded by women in wholesale silver lame outfits.
Wasted Opportunities and Audience Apathy
The filmmakers miss several opportunities to create genuine scares or clever references. They oddly avoid using a potent nun trope, opting instead for cliched skeletal hands emerging from a painting. The jump scares are ineffective, and the Vecna-like creatures fail to frighten anyone.
Sanjay Dutt appears to be the only one having fun, largely by laughing maniacally or screaming at characters and the audience about being in his trance. The film culminates in a hospital scene where Prabhas cycles through exaggerated emotions, while a smoke-ghost version of Dutt tries to enter through an AC vent, ignoring a perfectly large window.
The audacity peaks with a teaser for a potential sequel, showing Prabhas as the Joker—a move that might invite legal attention from DC Comics. For sensible viewers seeking fun, waiting for 'Scary Movie 6' later this year might be a wiser choice than enduring this trance-inducing experience.
