After opening to massive curiosity and sky-high expectations, The Raja Saab has had a mixed first weekend at the global box office. Headlined by Prabhas, the horror-comedy may have stumbled after its initial surge, but it continues to tick off major milestones — one crore at a time.
By the end of Day 3, The Raja Saab has crossed ₹150 crore worldwide gross, firmly placing it among the biggest Telugu openers of the year. Trade analysts now believe the film is well on track to enter the ₹200 crore club by Sankranti, provided it stabilises during the festive mid-week window.
Opening Weekend: Big Start, Steep Decline
Despite being Prabhas’ weakest post-pandemic opener in India, The Raja Saab still managed to pull off a staggering ₹100 crore worldwide gross on Day 1 (Friday) — a reminder of the star’s unmatched box office pull.
However, the momentum slowed sharply over the weekend.
| Day 0 (Thursday – Previews) | ₹9.15 Cr |
| Day 1 (Friday) | ₹53.75 Cr |
| Day 2 (Saturday) | ₹26 Cr |
| Day 3 (Sunday) | ₹19.1 Cr |
- Saturday: The film witnessed a major dip, with overseas markets cooling significantly and India collections falling by nearly 51%.
- Sunday: The slide continued, with domestic numbers dropping another 20%.
By the end of Day 3:
- India nett: ₹109 crore
- India gross: ₹130 crore
- Overseas: Over $3 million, driven largely by a strong US opening
This brings the total worldwide gross to approximately ₹158 crore in just three days.
Overseas Performance: US Saves the Weekend
While international markets showed signs of fatigue after Friday, the film’s strong US debut played a crucial role in cushioning the overall drop. North America emerged as the biggest overseas contributor, helping The Raja Saab cross the $3 million mark abroad within its opening weekend.
Trade circles note that without the US boost, the global total would have looked far more subdued by Sunday night.
Beating Recent Telugu Biggies
Despite the uneven trend, The Raja Saab has already managed to outperform several recent Telugu releases.
With its ₹158 crore global haul, the film has gone past:
- Akhanda 2 – approx. ₹128 crore
- Mirai – approx. ₹150 crore
This puts Prabhas’ film ahead of the curve, at least in terms of opening weekend numbers.
Sankranti Holds the Key
As expected, Monday is likely to see a significant drop, following the standard weekday pattern for big-ticket releases. However, all eyes are now on Wednesday’s Sankranti holiday, which could provide the film a much-needed boost.
If the festive audience turns up in decent numbers, The Raja Saab could steady its run and push closer to the ₹200 crore worldwide milestone within its first week.
About the Film: A Risky Genre Shift
Directed by Maruthi, The Raja Saab marks Prabhas’ return to the family entertainer space after more than a decade. Following the Baahubali phenomenon, the actor largely focused on large-scale action spectacles, making this horror-comedy a noticeable shift.
Fans have described the film as a throwback to “vintage Prabhas,” but critics haven’t been as kind. The film opened to largely negative reviews, which appears to have directly impacted its box office momentum after the initial rush.
The ensemble cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Boman Irani, and Zarina Wahab — adding scale, if not consistency, to the narrative.
Final Words
At Day 3, The Raja Saab stands at an interesting crossroads. The opening weekend numbers prove Prabhas’ box office power is still formidable, but the sharp drops underline how crucial audience word of mouth remains.
With ₹158 crore already in the bag, the film has done enough to stay relevant in the race — but whether it turns into a long-term success will depend heavily on the Sankranti stretch.
For now, The Raja Saab may have stumbled — but it hasn’t fallen yet.
