A highly regarded Sankranti 2026 film encounter of high drama has gone topsy-turvy for quite some time. A big break for the South Indian film industry now Jana Nayagan of Thalapathy Vijay has been officially postponed for serious difficulties with the Censor Board (CBFC) and pending court cases.
The surprise departure has been enough to clear space for the "Rebel Star" Prabhas to debut his own next massive, independently released magnum opus - the huge mega-opener The Raja Saab. Now with no competition, The Raja Saab has become millions’ lead festive entertainer. Overseas premieres will show on Thursday, January 8, and the show will make a global splash when the show opens Friday, January 9, 2026.
Pre-Sales and Digital Hype: Enormous
The buzz about The Raja Saab has a hot seat, with Prabhas’ pan-India superstardom unmatchable. The digital footprint alone tells of such a massive reach for the movie:
The BookMyShow Dominance: The film is one of this year’s largest charts top titles with over 650,000 “Interests.”
North America Pre-Sales: For a horror-comedy, the first major milestone this year, the North American pre-sales for this film already exceed $1 million. In the United States alone, more than 25,000 tickets were sold in a matter of days when bookings opened.
Presence around the world: It’s also bringing in solid advance numbers from the UK, Europe and Australia, with international pre-sales nearing $1.3 million even before the first show opens. 5 Shows and Price Increases (Andhra Pradesh)
The Andhra Pradesh government has backed major ticket price hikes on the film as a result of the festive scene and solo release status. Special Premieres: The paid premieres on Jan. 8 are available only for a premium ₹1,000. Unifying Shows: Single-screen tickets have raised by ₹150 (up to ~₹297) and multiplex tickets by ₹200 (up to ~₹377) over the initial 10 days.
Extended screening:
The government allows five shows per day to ensure good demand from most of that “Prabhas Army” also in demand at the Sankranti peak.
Marketing Blitz:
From London buses to fiery interviews. People Media Factory has made no attempt to cut costs for its marketing. An exclusive London bus branding programme has taken the movie on the streets around the globe, and at home, fiery interview promos with Prabhas and the director Maruthi have gone viral. For these behind-the-scenes interviews, Prabhas calls the film an overdue "proper entertainer" filled with high-octane thrills and genuine laughs and horror.
Box Office Forecast:
A 100-Crore Opening Weekend? Trade analysts are excited to see the films hit theaters. The Raja Saab is going to have a ₹110 crore to ₹130 crore domestic opening weekend based on the debut solo number and the holiday pull. So there you have it, the King is back. For all the disappointment that Tamil cinema fans will feel about waiting for Jana Nayagan to show up, though, the project has positioned The Raja Saab as a bigger event as promptly as early in 2026.
If the “Rebel Star” is poised to challenge all-time records established by his earlier blockbusters as Prabhas plows into the realms of horror-comedy for the first time, then surely, the audience is watching the box office for the first time after all. One thing is certain. This Sankranti, this "Raja" will alone rule theaters.
