By the time the sun dipped behind Hyderabad’s multiplex skyline on January 9, something electric had already happened. Ticket scanners were still warm. Popcorn tubs overflowed. Phone screens glowed with first show selfies. And somewhere between a scream and a laugh, the box office clocked its moment. The Raja Saab had crossed the ₹100 crore mark worldwide on its opening day, casually, confidently, as it had always planned to.
There is something almost ritualistic about a Prabhas release now. It does not arrive quietly. It does not test the waters. It announces itself. The Raja Saab did exactly that, storming into theatres with a ₹100 to 101 crore worldwide gross on Day 1, turning January 9 into another date etched into modern Telugu cinema lore. Around ₹63 to 74 crore poured in from Indian theatres, while overseas markets chipped in a formidable ₹25 to 30 crore. The India net hovered near ₹21.86 crore across languages, with Telugu leading the charge like a home crowd that knew every beat before it landed.
Truth is, the signs were there days earlier. Bookings had already hinted at something ferocious. Over 5.62 lakh tickets sold before the first show even rolled, translating to nearly ₹28.09 crore in pre-sales. That is not curiosity. That is commitment. That is an audience showing up not just for a film, but for a feeling they trust.
Prabhas has become that feeling. With The Raja Saab, he now stands alone as the only Indian actor to deliver six ₹100 crore worldwide opening day films. The list reads like a timeline of theatrical domination. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. Saaho. Adipurush. Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire. Kalki 2898 AD. And now this horror comedy that leans into madness with a grin. Different genres. Different tones. Same outcome. Massive first day numbers that feel less like surprise and more like tradition.
What makes this opening particularly delicious is its genre gamble. Horror comedy is a tricky cocktail. Lean too far into scares, and the laughs die. Chase laughs too hard, and the horror becomes wallpaper. Director Maruthi threads that needle with a film mounted on a reported ₹300 crore budget, unafraid of scale, unapologetic about spectacle. The Raja Saab plays with shadows and punchlines, superstition and swagger. It knows exactly when to let silence breathe and when to break it with chaos.
The cast only sharpens the experience. Sanjay Dutt brings weight and unpredictability. Boman Irani adds his signature authority tinged with irony. Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan in her Telugu debut, Riddhi Kumar, and Zarina Wahab round out a lineup that feels curated rather than crowded. Everyone seems to understand the tone. No one overplays the joke.
And just like that, the numbers stopped being numbers and started becoming headlines. This opening officially places Prabhas in a league of his own. Six films. Six ₹100 crore opening days worldwide. Not adjusted. Not footnoted. Clean, undeniable, theatrical muscle. Producer TG Vishwa Prasad had openly predicted this milestone during promotions, and the confidence did not feel like bravado. It felt like someone who had seen the bookings, felt the buzz, and trusted the moment.
There is also something quietly fascinating about how global this success is. Overseas markets are no longer an afterthought. They are a pillar. The Raja Saab’s performance abroad reinforces how Prabhas has become a pan-Indian export; his films are consumed with equal appetite in North America, the Gulf, Australia, and beyond. Language becomes secondary. Presence does the heavy lifting.
Honestly, it felt like watching a familiar pattern lock into place, but with a fresh texture. Horror comedy is not what built Prabhas’ box office mythology, yet it bends comfortably around him. That adaptability is the real headline. Big budgets can buy scale. Marketing can buy awareness. But only a certain kind of star can walk into a new genre and still pull ₹100 crore on Day 1.
What happens next will be dissected over weekend trends, weekday holds, and lifetime projections. That is the business side of the obsession. But for now, the opening day stands untouched, loud, and self-assured. The Raja Saab did not just open big. It opened with authority, with laughter echoing through jump scares, with an audience ready to follow Prabhas wherever he decides to go next.
And somewhere in the dark, between a gasp and a chuckle, Indian cinema found another reminder. When a star truly connects, opening day is not a question. It is a conclusion.
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Sana has been covering film, fame, and everything in between for over a decade. From red carpets to rehab rumors, she brings nuance, wit, and an insider’s edge to every story. When she’s not reporting, she’s probably watching Koffee With Karan reruns or doom-scrolling celebrity IG feeds.
