‘The Raja Saab’ Advance Booking: Prabhas’ Movie Slated For Bumper Opening
Prabhas’ ‘The Raja Saab’ gears up for a big Sankranti release as advance bookings signal a strong opening for the horror comedy.
The wait is almost over for the ‘Rebel Star’ fans. Prabhas is returning to the big screen this Sankranti with the highly anticipated horror-comedy ‘The Raja Saab’. With a reported staggering budget of Rs 400 crore, the film is gearing up for a grand worldwide release on Friday, January 9. Early trends suggest a powerful start, with the film eyeing an opening-day collection of over Rs 8.29 crore based on advance sales and blocked seats alone.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, ‘The Raja Saab’ has already sold 1,23,987 tickets for its opening day through advance bookings. The original Telugu version is dominating the market, selling 79,427 tickets across 1,248 shows at an average price of Rs 220.
The Hindi dubbed version is showing decent traction with 40,725 tickets sold for 1,525 shows. Meanwhile, the Tamil version is off to a slower start, with 77 tickets sold across 12 shows so far.
The film has already grossed Rs 3.38 crore in pure advance sales, and with blocked seats included, the Day 1 figure is expected to cross Rs 7–8 crore. The southern markets are currently the backbone of the film’s pre-release success. Andhra Pradesh is the biggest contributor, grossing Rs 1.35 crore (including blocked seats) with a 22 per cent real occupancy across 521 shows.
Karnataka has grossed Rs 1.29 crore with 7 per cent occupancy in 306 shows. Tamil Nadu and Odisha follow with Rs 9.56 lakh and Rs 7.19 lakh respectively, with predicted occupancies around 11 per cent.
In a major boost for the producers, the Andhra Pradesh government has granted permission for ticket price hikes for the first ten days of the film’s run. Prices for Thursday’s special premieres are capped at Rs 1,000. For single screens, a hike of Rs 150 brings the cost per seat to Rs 297. For multiplexes, a hike of Rs 200 brings the cost per seat to Rs 377. The government has also allowed the film to screen five shows per day, ensuring maximum reach during the festive period.
Directed by Maruthi and produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under People Media Factory, ‘The Raja Saab’ features Prabhas in a dual role. The plot follows Raja Saab (Prabhas), a man deeply attached to his grandmother (Zarina Wahab). The story takes a dark turn when he enters an abandoned haveli that acts as a trap, turning the mind against the body.
The movie also features Sanjay Dutt as a menacing hypnotist who uses mental manipulation over brute force and Boman Irani as a mysterious psychiatrist and paranormal investigator. The film also stars Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, and Riddhi Kumar. Bollywood veteran Suniel Shetty also plays a pivotal role.
In a recent press note, Prabhas shared his excitement about working with Director Maruthi.
"The three years of stress and responsibility brought tears to Maruthi garu's eyes," Prabhas revealed. "I told him we should give audiences a proper entertainer. When I heard the climax, I became a fan of his writing—I wondered if he wrote it with a pen or a machine gun."
Prabhas promised fans that ‘The Raja Saab’ will bring back the “Full Darling” era of entertainment he was known for 15 years ago, blending romance, horror, and comedy into a blockbuster package for the Sankranti season.
