Movie Name: The Raja Saab
Rating: 2.25/5
Cast: Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Riddhi Kumar, Nidhhi Agerwla, Zarina Wahab, Boman Irani, and others
Director: Maruthi
Produced By: T.G. Vishwa Prasad
Release Date: 9th January 2026
The Raja Saab is the latest horror comedy starring Prabhas. Directed by Maruthi, the movie hit theaters amidst huge hype from fans, and it also made news due to late bookings in Telangana. Let’s find out if the movie lives up to the hype in our review below.
Story:
The Raja Saab follows Raju (Prabhas), who lives with his grandmother having Alzheimer’s. Once a royal heir, her husband betrayed and abandoned her.After his death, the grandfather who practiced dark arts seeks rebirth to regain his powers. How Raju discovers the truth, confronts his grandfather, and saves his grandmother forms the crux of the story.
Performances:
Prabhas, after a very long time, gets a character with free-flowing satire, romantic moments, and a strong emotional bond to portray, and he does it very well. Sanjay Dutt’s characterization feels mixed, and the audience cannot feel a powerful aura in his presence. Boman Irani’s intelligent character is good, and he portrays it well.
There are three heroines in the film, but practically there is no strong reason to include all three. None of them add much value to the story, and their scenes are poorly written. Zarina Wahab performs very well, and her presence is excellent, but her character arc is not presented properly. Satya, Prabhas Sreenu, and other comedians deliver as per their standards.
Analysis:
The movie had a very interesting plot and the potential to deliver a strong horror-fantasy experience. However, director Maruthi failed to handle the subject engagingly.The entire first half goes off track with continuous filler scenes, especially the heroine’s track, and only picks up some momentum towards the pre-interval and interval portions.
The interval ends on an intriguing note.Post-interval, a few comedy bits initially work well, giving hope that the film is getting back on the right track. But once again, the filler scenes with the heroines disturb the flow. Maruthi completely goes overboard and gets stuck between horror, mid-game, and fantasy genres, delivering no element effectively.
The hyped climax is also dragged out for too long and mixes too many elements. At some point, it becomes difficult to understand what is really happening. The characters look interesting, but the film fails to present them strongly, including all the main characters.
Director Maruthi fails in a considerable way and shows his inability to handle a big star and a big-budget film. Thaman’s music is very disappointing and extremely loud. The CG is good in a few scenes but looks odd in others. The cinematography is just okay and could have been much better. The editing is terrible. The film’s biggest mistake is the lack of sharp cuts, which affects the overall flow.
Positives:
- Prabhas’s characterization and screen presence
- Pre-Interval and Post-Interval Episodes
- Some Comedy Scenes and Fantasy Elements
- Hospital Scene in 2nd half
Negatives:
- Weak Character Arcs For Everyone
- Poor Screenplay and Editing
- Loud and Non Sync Music
- Overcomplicated Screenplay
- Hero and Three heroines Track
- The Dragged Climax
The Raja Saab Review and Verdict:
The Raja Saab fails to impress the audience even with low expectations. The film is watchable mainly to see Prabhas in a comic and free-flowing role and for his good performance, along with a few fantasy elements.
For Prabhas fans, it may be watchable, but for others, it is definitely a disappointing film. The movie fails to deliver the fantasy, horror, and comedy that audiences expected.
