The Raja Saab Box Office Preview (Hindi): Prabhas-Starrer Heads For A Slow Start
Mumbai, January 7 - Ever since the release of Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Pan-India superstar Prabhas has enjoyed back-to-back multiple successes in Hindi, barring romantic drama Radhe Shyam (2022), which couldn't ignite fire due to various challenges at the time of its release.
Upon the goodwill created by Baahubali, Prabhas has consistently (apart from Radhe Shyam) delivered double-digit openings, starting with Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017). The actor's popularity continues to soar outside his core Telugu fanbase, which has made him one of the most bankable stars in the country.
While the expectations from his movies always remain high, things might not be the same as before regarding his upcoming film The Raja Saab, which releases on January 9. The romantic horror comedy, which started as a small film between the actor's big-budget tentpoles, has significantly increased in terms of scale and budget, and despite that, it has failed to generate hype in the Hindi market.
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The horror comedy genre has its audience, but the makers have been reluctant when it comes to promoting the film in the Hindi market. There is, of course, some buzz on social media, but due to the lack of promotional material, the ground-level hype among the general audience seems to be missing.
While the clear idea regarding the buzz will be known once the bookings start, the current prospects aren't that bright and hint at a single-digit start in Hindi. The trade, at the moment, is projecting 5-7 crores net opening, which may vary depending on the booking sales and word of mouth. Also, the holdover film, Dhurandhar, will pose a big challenge for The Raja Saab, as the Ranveer Singh-starrer continues to draw footfalls despite being a month-old title.
There will, however, be a Sankranthi holiday advantage for The Raja Saab. Depending on word of mouth, the Maruthi directorial will have the opportunity to make up if the opening remains on the slower side. However, if the movie manages to score better than current projections, it will surely enjoy a good run, as there is no new big Hindi release till Border 2, on January 23.
Stay tuned...