The Raja Saab (Hindi) continues to struggle at the box office. On its second day, the film collected only Rs. 3.75 crore net, marking a drop of over 25 percent from its opening day.
While this drop looks shocking on paper, it is slightly misleading because day one collections were inflated through block bookings, also known as feeding. Day two appears largely organic. In reality, both Friday and Saturday collections are likely in a similar organic range, which only highlights how weak the actual trend is.
According to Box OfficeIndia, after two days, the Hindi version stands at Rs. 9 crores net. Even with some expected growth on Sunday, the first weekend is likely to close at just Rs. 13 to 14 crores net, which is a disastrous result. The trend clearly shows outright rejection from Hindi audiences. Odisha has shown relatively better numbers, but that is driven purely by Prabhas' stardom and not the film's content.
Prabhas has enjoyed consistent recognition in the Hindi belt since Baahubali, but his success there has been largely limited to action heavy or devotional films. Outside that space, he has struggled. After Radhe Shyam, The Raja Saab has also failed to connect with the North audience. Despite being a horror comedy, a genre currently in demand, the film is turning out to be a washout in Hindi.
The film carries massive costs, and recovery is impossible without strong Hindi support, which has clearly not materialized. Adding to the concern, even the Telugu version has created shockwaves, with a weak opening followed by a sharp second day drop.
The South Indian markets have performed better, but even there the drop is worrying. The film has collected approximately Rs. 120 crores worldwide gross in two days including previews. In Telugu states, the recovery is around 40-45% after two days. While this figure may look decent at first glance, it is not impressive by Telugu market standards, especially given it's a Prabhas film.
At this stage, trade estimates suggest that The Raja Saab's lifetime Hindi collection may struggle to cross Rs. 20 crores net, making it one of Prabhas' weakest performers in the Hindi market.
Overall, the film is staring at an awful box office verdict across regions. Raja Saab is turning out to be a huge dent to Prabhas' stardom, who is hailed as India's Biggest Superstar by his fans.