The Sankranti festival season, typically a time for cinematic celebration, turned sour for fans of superstar Prabhas. His much-anticipated horror fantasy film, 'The Raja Saab,' opened in theatres on January 11, 2024, and was met with an immediate wave of scathing criticism from first-day, first-show (FDFS) audiences.
A Festival Release Turns into a Nightmare
Directed by Maruthi, 'The Raja Saab' was positioned as a major pan-India release for the lucrative Sankranti holiday period. However, the initial reactions from fans and moviegoers who attended the early screenings were far from festive. Social media platforms and review forums were quickly flooded with brutally negative comments, labeling the film a significant disappointment.
Audiences expressed severe disappointment with multiple aspects of the film. The core complaints centered on a weak and poorly written screenplay, lackluster comedy that failed to land, and a perceived mismatch between Prabhas's star persona and the film's horror-comedy tone. Many reviews described the experience as "torturous" and a waste of the actor's potential, especially following his previous box office setbacks.
Audience Backlash and Specific Grievances
The FDFS reviews were unsparing in their detail. Key points of criticism included:
- Predictable and Dull Plot: Viewers found the story to be highly unoriginal and lacking in engaging twists, making the runtime feel excessively long.
- Ineffective Humour: The comedy tracks, a staple in Maruthi's films, were widely panned as forced, outdated, and cringe-worthy.
- Prabhas's Characterization: Fans felt the role did not leverage Prabhas's strengths, with some calling his performance unconvincing within the film's fantastical framework.
- Technical Execution: Despite the genre offering scope for creativity, the VFX and horror elements were criticized for being subpar and failing to create a compelling atmosphere.
This wave of negative word-of-mouth, erupting right from the festival day, posed a serious threat to the film's box office longevity. Sankranti releases often rely on strong initial buzz to draw family audiences throughout the holiday period, which 'The Raja Saab' conspicuously lost within hours of its debut.
Implications for Prabhas and the Box Office
The disastrous opening reception to 'The Raja Saab' has broader consequences. For Prabhas, this marks another high-profile film following 'Adipurush' and 'Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire' that has struggled with audience reception, increasing pressure on his upcoming projects to deliver a critical and commercial hit.
For the makers and distributors, the toxic FDFS reviews have likely crippled the film's earning potential during the crucial festive weekend. The horror fantasy genre, combined with Prabhas's star power, had generated considerable advance booking, but the immediate negative feedback was expected to severely impact footfalls from the second day onward.
The episode underscores the growing power of instant audience reviews in the digital age, where a film's fate can be sealed within hours of its release. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of launching a big-budget film with perceived quality issues during a competitive festival season, where audience expectations are at their peak.
