For someone who started off with low-budget adult comedies like Ee Rojullo and Bus Stop, director Maruthi finally entered the mainstream with the major commercial success of Nani’s Bhale Bhale Magadivoy in 2015.
Since then, though he has continued to make films, he has not tasted success on a similar scale. Against this backdrop, he hit the jackpot when Prabhas gave him dates for The Raja Saab.
By then, Prabhas was already a pan-India star, which meant Maruthi got an opportunity to tap the entire Indian market at one go.
The horror comedy, which took off in 2022, finally released in 2026 and turned out to be a box-office dud.
There has always been a market for horror films in India, but stars rarely figure in them because such films are usually not made on huge budgets.
In the case of The Raja Saab, Prabhas’ remuneration was probably the biggest cost component.
In fact, many were puzzled when Prabhas agreed to do The Raja Saab with Maruthi. But then, Prabhas has always been known to place friendship above commerce.
Maruthi himself described the opportunity to direct Prabhas as a “golden opportunity.” Unfortunately, he could not cash in on it.
The failure of The Raja Saab means Maruthi must now start dreaming in Telugu again. The question is: which actor or producer would now be willing to collaborate with him?
