Prabhas making a royal return on the silver screen with this horror comedy The Raja Saab. Though a disappointment against recent mega-blocks, on its first day of release it dominated the current charts.
Mumbai/Hyderabad: The "Rebel Star" Prabhas has officially kicked off 2026. The Raja Saab, Maruthi's horror-comedy, his most recent debut film, has also entered the stage right from the very first day the movie has had a sound start domestically. Based on early estimates by industry insider Sacnilk, the film earned ₹45 crore nett in India across all languages on Friday, January 9.
The highlight of Day 1 is just how quickly The Raja Saab seized the title away from Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar. The former had topped five straight weeks. By 9 AM on Friday, the Raja Saab had surpassed Dhurandhar’s previous day total, putting an end to its long-standing streak. But compared to all-time opening day titans, The Raja Saab was behind Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, which opened at a grand total of ₹75 crore (Hindi: ₹65 crore). It also trails behind Prabhas’ own recent behemoths such as Kalki 2898 AD (₹95 crore) and Salaar (₹90 crore).
Performance Breakdown
Despite a "slower" launch compared with his previous high-octane action dramas, there were massive footfalls in the Telugu-speaking states for the film. Telugu States: Another key driver with occupancy peaking at 69% for night shows.
Hindi Belt: An occupancy of 15.63% was a modest start, trade analysts expect growth over the weekend.
Global Numbers
Including paid previews on Thursday (₹9.15 crore), the film's total opening numbers are ₹54.15 crore — a staggering number to match! The Appeal For the "Vintage Prabhas." The following years' response from viewers to it has been overwhelmingly positive with many fans rejoicing to receive “Vintage Prabhas," a lighter-hearted, friendlier version of the actor who appeared in his pre-Baahubali days.
And while the film received mixed critical reviews with regard to its screenplay, Prabhas’ star power and the holiday festive season of Sankranti are on firm ground to further propel the numbers. On a budget of ₹400 crore alone, everything is now on the Saturday and Sunday collections to see if The Raja Saab can maintain the momentum and secure its place in the sought-after ₹200-crore club by week’s end.
