Prabhas’ lowest post-pandemic opening? The Raja Saab’s day 1 box office trend explained

The box office numbers for The Raja Saab are finally out, and they paint a mixed picture for Prabhas. The much-awaited horror comedy opened to Rs. 54.15 crore worldwide on its first day, including paid premieres. While the numbers are solid by most standards, the film has ended up registering the lowest opening for a Prabhas release in the post-pandemic era.

Despite that tag, The Raja Saab has shown encouraging signs, especially in audience curiosity and early ticket-window traction.

Day 1 numbers and early momentum

As per Sacnilk estimates, The Raja Saab earned around Rs. 45 crore nett in India on Day 1 across all languages. The remaining Rs. 9.15 crore came from premiere shows, taking the total to Rs. 54.15 crore. The film benefited from Prabhas’ loyal fan base, particularly in the Telugu-speaking states, where morning shows saw healthy occupancy.

An interesting highlight is that The Raja Saab managed to overtake Dhurandhar in morning collections. The Ranveer Singh-starrer had been ruling the Indian box office for five weeks, but Prabhas’ film surpassed Dhurandhar’s Thursday collection of Rs. 4.25 crore by early morning itself. For comparison, Dhurandhar had collected Rs. 28 crore on its opening day.

Lowest post-pandemic opening for Prabhas

When placed against Prabhas’ recent filmography, The Raja Saab clearly falls short in terms of opening-day firepower. Salaar had opened at Rs. 90 crore, Kalki 2898 AD at Rs. 95 crore, and even Adipurush had started strong at Rs. 86 crore before its sharp decline.

However, industry observers note that expectations were naturally tempered. Advance bookings opened late, and the film does not belong to the mass action genre that usually guarantees explosive openings for Prabhas. By that metric, the Day 1 numbers are considered decent rather than disappointing.

Audience response and what lies ahead

Directed by Maruthi, The Raja Saab marks Prabhas’ return to a family-friendly entertainer after more than a decade. Fans on social media have been calling it a throwback to “vintage Prabhas,” appreciating the lighter tone and comic elements. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Boman Irani, and Zarina Wahab.

Interestingly, despite being labelled a “slow” opener, The Raja Saab is still expected to surpass the opening-day collections of recent blockbusters like Jawan, Animal, Leo, and others. The real test now lies in its weekend performance and word of mouth.

Whether The Raja Saab builds steady momentum or fades after its opening day will determine its final box office fate. For now, Prabhas may have his lowest post-pandemic opening, but the film is far from being counted out.