The Raja Saab Review: Prabhas remains only solace in otherwise crass horror fantasy comedy

The Raja Saab, starring Prabhas in the lead role, released in theatres on January 9, 2026. Directed by Maruthi, the fantasy horror comedy features Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Boman Irani, and several other notable actors in key roles. If you're planning to watch it in theatres, here is the Pinkvilla review for you to check out.

The Plot

The Raja Saab follows the tale of Raja, a young man who lives with his grandmother, Gangamma. His grandmother suffers from Alzheimer’s and only remembers her missing husband, Kanakaraju, and Raja.

Often, Kanakaraju appears in Gangamma’s dreams, indicating a mysterious connection. As Raja stumbles upon a clue that could unravel his grandfather’s disappearance, he is guided toward a haunted mansion.

What is the mystery behind the haunted mansion, and what happens when Raja comes across his grandfather’s spiteful ghost, is explored in the rest of the story.

The Good

The Raja Saab’s biggest saving grace in an otherwise cringefest is Prabhas. Unlike his previous ventures that focused on action, drama, and larger-than-life avatars, this time the Saaho actor takes a 180-degree turn from his earlier roles, becoming a true darling.

The pitch and tone of the content on offer are truly something else and could have connected with the audience if not for the excessive scale and flawed execution.

Apart from a few light-hearted moments, nothing else manages to earn enough attention or praise.

From a technical standpoint, Thaman S truly delivers as the music composer, offering several tracks and tunes, even though they feel unnecessary to the screenplay by the end. Additionally, Karthik Palani does a commendable job with the visuals.

The Bad

The Raja Saab is a complete recipe for disaster, failing after trying to overachieve beyond its limits. The movie begins with a shoddy foundation, making every progression in the screenplay feel like wasted potential for the viewers.

While the ideas are good, the mix of mysticism and fantasy in a VFX-heavy world fails to impress. The pace at which the screenplay moves, the obvious plot holes, and the failure to complete subplots before shifting to new ones leave viewers disinterested.

This might have been acceptable if limited to one or two scenes, but the entire film fails to tie itself together, making every moment of the three-hour runtime a tough pill to swallow. In a fantasy horror comedy, neither the horror nor the comedy works, with the fantasy elements appearing amateurish.

With poor execution by Maruthi and subpar editing by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao, the only thing that performs worse is the tacky VFX.

The Performance

Prabhas delivers his best with the given material, taking on a fresh and charming avatar. His softer moments are reminiscent of his early days in the industry, balancing charisma without relying on punch dialogues.

However, even his character remains underdeveloped, possibly being held back to allow more scope in a sequel.

While Sanjay Dutt and Boman Irani do their best, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, and Riddhi Kumar are reduced to background props, never fitting into the narrative as important characters. More often than not, they are used only for musical tracks.

Watch the trailer for The Raja Saab