The Raja Saab Movie Review: Prabhas’ Horror Fantasy Delivers Limited Impact

Release Date: January 09, 2026
Rating: 2.75/5
Director: Maruthi
Producers: TG Vishwa Prasad, Krithi Prasad
Music Director: Thaman S
Cast: Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Zarina Wahab

Prabhas ventures into the horror fantasy genre for the first time with The Raja Saab, directed by Maruthi. With strong pre-release buzz and high expectations, the film arrived in theatres today. Here is a detailed review.

Story

Gangamma (Zarina Wahab), an Alzheimer’s patient, lives under the care of her grandson Raju (Prabhas). Though she forgets most things, she remains emotionally attached to memories of her husband Pekamedala Kanakaraju (Sanjay Dutt), a feared exorcist believed to be alive somewhere in exile. Raju’s quest to find his grandfather leads him to Hyderabad, where he uncovers a shocking truth—Kanakaraju has been dead for years and has returned as a vengeful spirit. As Raju digs deeper, he begins to unravel his grandfather’s dark past and the greed that shaped his downfall. The supernatural and psychological clash between the two drives the narrative forward.

Plus Points

One of the film’s biggest positives is Prabhas appearing in a full-length comic role after a long gap. He clearly makes an effort to move away from his action-heavy image and tries something different. While the results are inconsistent, a few scenes manage to generate genuine laughs. Satya complements Prabhas effectively and adds value wherever the writing supports the humor. Zarina Wahab delivers a dignified and emotionally grounded performance, and the emotional thread associated with her character works well in select portions. Sanjay Dutt gets a well-defined role and brings the required intensity, with his psychological mind games adding intrigue whenever they take center stage. The second half has a few well-executed moments, including Prabhas’ encounter with shadow figures, Sanjay Dutt’s psychological play involving Boman Irani, and an emotionally driven hospital sequence that briefly elevates the film.

Minus Points

Despite its promising concept, the film struggles due to weak writing and inconsistent execution. Director Maruthi’s ambition to mount the film on a grand scale is evident, but it fails to translate effectively on screen. Prabhas’ attempt at comedy does not always land, as several scenes lack sharp humor and suffer from poor staging, creating tonal imbalance. Malavika Mohanan’s Tollywood debut offers little scope for performance, while Nidhhi Agerwal and Riddhi Kumar remain largely ornamental. The songs feel forced and disrupt the suspense-driven narrative, with the placement of “Nache Nache” standing out as particularly unnecessary. Supporting actors like Samuthirakani, Rangasthalam Mahesh, and Sapthagiri are underutilised in weakly written roles. The first half feels disjointed and lacks narrative cohesion, and the sluggish pacing continues well into the second half. The nearly three-hour runtime further magnifies these flaws.

Technical Aspects

Maruthi misses an opportunity to deliver a compelling entertainer despite having Prabhas at the center. The lack of disciplined storytelling and tonal clarity weakens the overall impact. Thaman S’s background score turns out to be a major drawback, as excessive loudness often replaces emotional depth and overwhelms key scenes. Karthik Palani’s cinematography is decent in parts and offers occasional visual appeal, but it does not consistently elevate the film. Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao’s editing needed tighter trimming, especially in the first half, to remove filler sequences and improve narrative flow. The CGI work is inconsistent and only average, while the production values are maintained at a reasonable level.

Verdict

Overall, The Raja Saab is a horror fantasy that works only in isolated moments and never comes together as a cohesive whole. Prabhas’ attempt at comedy is sincere but uneven, while underwritten characters, pacing issues, and tonal imbalance weigh the film down. Although the second half offers a few engaging scenes, they are too sparse to elevate the overall experience. This film is best suited for die-hard Prabhas fans or viewers inclined toward the genre, provided expectations are kept firmly in check.