The highly anticipated Prabhas-starrer 'The Raja Saab' has experienced a significant setback at the domestic box office, registering a steep decline in its collections on the second day of release. After a robust opening, the film's earnings took a sharp tumble, raising questions about its staying power.
A Dramatic Drop in Day 2 Collections
The film's earnings plummeted to Rs 27.83 crore across all Indian languages on Saturday, its second day. This figure represents a drastic fall of nearly 48% from its impressive first-day haul of Rs 53.75 crore. According to data from the Sacnilk website, the two-day India net total for 'The Raja Saab' now stands at Rs 90.73 crore.
On the global front, the movie has amassed a worldwide total of Rs 138.4 crore within the same timeframe. A notable portion of this, approximately Rs 30 crore, has come from overseas markets. The gross collection from India after two days is reported to be Rs 108.4 crore.
Audience Occupancy: A Mixed and Language-Dependent Picture
The occupancy data for Saturday reveals a story of regional disparity. The film's core Telugu market showed moderate engagement with an overall occupancy of 44.00%. The day began on a weak note with morning shows recording only 28.95%, but saw improvement as the day progressed. Evening and night shows picked up, with night show occupancy reaching 51.25%.
However, the performance in other language markets was notably weaker. The Hindi version struggled, managing an overall occupancy of just 12.95%, starting at a meagre 6.72% in the morning. Tamil shows recorded a 21.11% overall occupancy, with night shows performing relatively better at 34.43%.
Language-Wise Earnings Breakdown
The box office numbers clearly indicate which audience is driving the film's business.
- Telugu: Contributed Rs 22.38 crore on day 2, with a two-day total of Rs 78.68 crore.
- Hindi: Earned Rs 5.2 crore on Saturday, taking its total to Rs 11.2 crore.
- Tamil: Added Rs 15 lakhs (Day 2), total Rs 55 lakhs.
- Kannada & Malayalam: Earned Rs 6 lakhs and Rs 4 lakhs respectively on day 2, with totals of Rs 16 lakhs and Rs 14 lakhs.
It is evident that the Telugu-speaking audience is predominantly carrying the film's commercial performance, while its pan-India appeal appears limited.
Early Audience Reactions and Reviews
Initial viewer feedback on social media platforms paints a picture of disappointment for many. The film, which attempts a fantasy-driven narrative uncommon in mainstream Telugu cinema, has been criticised for its execution. One Twitter user expressed that the promising concept was let down by outdated filmmaking reminiscent of the 2010s, noting that Prabhas seemed "absolutely not interested in acting." They did, however, find the last 30-40 minutes watchable.
Another review offered a slightly more balanced take, rating the film 2.5 out of 5. It acknowledged an engaging plot and good energy from Prabhas but cited weak storytelling and poor execution as factors that made the film only an "okayish watch." These early reactions suggest that word-of-mouth may not be strong enough to reverse the declining box office trend.
Disclaimer: The box office figures presented are compiled from proprietary sources and various public data. All numbers are approximate, and the aim is to provide a fair representation of the film's performance. Feedback is welcomed by the entertainment desk.
