Entertainment · Indian Cinema · 5 hrs ago
Producer says Sankranti release and ticket issues hurt The Raja Saab
Producer T.G. Vishwa Prasad says The Raja Saab underperformed after its January 2026 release.
The horror-comedy stars Prabhas and was directed by Maruthi.
Its reported budget was more than 400 crore rupees, while its worldwide gross was reported as 208 crore rupees, though one account put it at about 210 crore.
Prasad called the Sankranti release a mistake and said another release period might have brought a different result.
He also said delayed premieres and attempted ticket-price increases upset viewers.
The producer said there were several reasons for the film’s performance, not just its release timing.
Prasad says he is only a distributor for Spirit, Prabhas’s next film with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
Spirit is scheduled for release in March 2027, though another account says its date could be postponed.
Producer T.G. Vishwa Prasad said the Sankranti release and attempts to raise ticket prices hurt The Raja Saab.
He said delayed premieres on the release day also upset audiences.
The film, directed by Maruthi and starring Prabhas, was released in cinemas on January 9, 2026.
News18 Hindi and India TV Hindi reported worldwide gross earnings of 208 crore rupees against a budget of more than 400 crore rupees.
AajTak reported earnings of around 210 crore rupees and cited reports putting the budget at up to 500 crore rupees.
- Who
- Producer T.G. Vishwa Prasad discussed the film’s performance.
- What
- He said the Sankranti release, delayed premieres and attempted ticket price increases were among the factors that hurt the film.
- When
- The film was released on January 9, 2026. Vishwa Prasad discussed it at a press conference in October 2026.
- Where
- The film was released in cinemas. The press conference was held in Hyderabad.
- Why
- Vishwa Prasad said releasing the film during Sankranti was a basic mistake, and that premiere delays and ticket price increases upset audiences.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Raja Saab was released in cinemas.
The film’s premieres were delayed, and the production company tried to raise ticket prices.
Vishwa Prasad discussed the film at a press conference in Hyderabad while promoting his upcoming film.
- Release date
- January 9, 2026
- Director
- Maruthi
- Producer
- T.G. Vishwa Prasad
- Reported worldwide gross
- 208 crore rupees in News18 Hindi and India TV Hindi; around 210 crore rupees in AajTak
- Reported budget
- More than 400 crore rupees in News18 Hindi and India TV Hindi; up to 500 crore rupees cited by AajTak as reported spending
3 sources
What people are saying
A basic mistake was that we released it in a particular season, Sankranti. If we had released it at some other time, things would have been different.
The day we released the film, its premiere was delayed and we also tried to increase ticket prices. I think this was the first film for which we tried to increase ticket prices; we should not have done that. This caused delays and people were upset.
I am only a distributor for Spirit.