Maruthi hits back at trolls over ‘The Raja Saab’

Prabhas-starrer “The Raja Saab” kicked off the Sankranthi 2026 festive season at theatres with its release on January 9. The film opened to strong numbers and reportedly grossed big in its first four days. However, despite the impressive start, sections of the film came in for heavy criticism, leading to director Maruthi being targeted by trolls on social media.

With “The Raja Saab” now facing tough competition from new releases, including Chiranjeevi’s “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu,” Maruthi finally broke his silence on the online trolling. Reacting strongly, the director reminded critics that the film represented three years of hard work and warned that senseless trolling would eventually have karmic consequences.

“Remember this… someone’s three years of hard work is being presented in a three-hour film, and you’re trolling it mindlessly. Nature will take care of everything. One day, when karma hits hard, you will realise why you are facing problems in life—it will be because of the trolling you did,” Maruthi stated.

Meanwhile, the makers released a poster claiming a Rs 200 crore gross for “The Raja Saab,” though ground reports suggest a mixed reality.

While the Telugu version has performed reasonably well, the Hindi version reportedly struggled, collecting around Rs 15 crore over its opening weekend. Critics, on the other hand, pointed out issues with the screenplay, calling it forced, and felt the horror elements lacked impact.