Prabhas, the pan-Indian superstar anointed by the monumental success of the Baahubali franchise, continues to command staggering opening days at the box office, irrespective of a film's eventual fate. His latest cinematic offering, The Raja Saab, has followed this very template, storming the box office with a colossal opening day collection.
A Massive Pan-India Opening
The film kicked off its theatrical run with powerhouse numbers, amassing a total of Rs 63.3 crore on its first day. This impressive figure includes earnings from premiere shows held prior to the official release day. The film had already collected Rs 9.15 crore from these special previews. On its full opening day, The Raja Saab pulled in a massive Rs 54.15 crore, cementing Prabhas's status as a box office opener without parallel.
The Telugu-Hindi Divide and A Significant Milestone
A detailed breakdown of the Day 1 figures reveals a familiar pattern for Prabhas's pan-India releases. The lion's share of the revenue, as expected, came from the film's Telugu version. The Hindi dubbed version contributed Rs 6.15 crore. While this number may appear modest in isolation, it holds significance for the record books. This Hindi opening has managed to surpass the first-day Hindi collection of Baahubali: The Beginning, which stood at approximately Rs 5.15 crore.
This achievement is notable given the challenging release circumstances for The Raja Saab in the Hindi belt. The film found itself caught in a scheduling clash with other major releases like Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic, leading to its advance bookings opening merely hours before the first shows began. In this context, a Rs 6.15 crore start is considered a solid performance.
A Concerning Decade-Long Trend for Prabhas in Hindi
However, when this Hindi figure is viewed through the prism of Prabhas's own box office history over the past decade, a concerning trend emerges. Since the Baahubali series catapulted him to national fame, The Raja Saab now ranks as the third-lowest Day 1 Hindi collection for a Prabhas film. The only films with lower Hindi openings in this period are Radhe Shyam (Rs 4.8 crore) and the first Baahubali.
The comparison with his other post-Baahubali Hindi openings is stark:
- Baahubali 2: The Conclusion: A record-shattering Rs 41 crore
- Adipurush: Rs 37.25 crore
- Saaho: Rs 24.40 crore
- Kalki 2898 AD: Rs 22.5 crore
- Salaar: Rs 15.75 crore
This downward trajectory in Hindi openings is a cause for analysis. While Baahubali: The Beginning started at Rs 5 crore and legged out to cross Rs 100 crore in Hindi, a similar path looks uncertain for The Raja Saab. The film has faced criticism from both reviewers and a section of fans, an effect that is likely to influence its box office performance over the crucial weekend. As the benchmark for South Indian films releasing in Hindi, Prabhas's numbers are closely watched, and this latest entry adds a new data point to an evolving story.
On the work front, Prabhas is currently collaborating with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga on the film Spirit, which also stars Triptii Dimri.
