The Raja Saab Opens Strong: Prabhas Sets 2026 in Motion

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Prabhas has launched 2026 with an impressive box office performance as his new film The Raja Saab opened strongly on its first day. Helmed by Maruthi, this horror comedy may have garnered mixed reviews from critics, yet it resonated well with Prabhas’ extensive fan community.

Early estimates indicate that The Raja Saab bagged ₹15.34 crore net in India by 4 PM on Friday, according to Sacnilk. Despite late advance bookings and its divergence from typical mass action films, the initial figures are commendable.

Many in the industry had predicted The Raja Saab would deliver the lowest opening among Prabhas’ post-pandemic titles. Nevertheless, the film defied expectations and outshone other recent releases, surpassing the morning collections of Dhurandhar, which had been dominating the Indian box office for five consecutive weeks.

By 9 AM on its opening day, The Raja Saab had already eclipsed Dhurandhar’s previous day collection of ₹4.25 crore, officially claiming the box office lead.

When placed against Prabhas’ earlier works, this opening falls short compared to Salaar (₹90 crore), Kalki 2898 AD (₹95 crore), and Adipurush (₹86 crore). However, The Raja Saab is poised to surpass the day one collections of recent hits including Jawan (₹64 crore), Animal (₹63 crore), Leo (₹64.80 crore), and Dhurandhar (₹30 crore).

The film's performance over the upcoming weekend will be pivotal in assessing its long-term success.

The Raja Saab signifies Prabhas’ return to the family entertainer genre after more than ten years. Following the Baahubali franchise, his films have largely focused on large-scale action. Fans are heralding this film as a comeback of “classic Prabhas.”

The cast also includes Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Boman Irani, and Zarina Wahab.