The Raja Saab faces heavy trolling after OTT premiere

The Raja Saab, starring Prabhas and directed by Maruthi, has made its OTT debut on JioHotstar, and the response has been far from encouraging. The film, which released in theatres on January 9, 2026, began streaming online yesterday and has since triggered widespread reactions across social media.

When it hit the big screens, “The Raja Saab” was met with harsh criticism from reviewers and was largely rejected by audiences, leading to significant losses for the producers. Unfortunately, the shift to OTT has not improved its fortunes. Instead, the film has once again come under intense scrutiny, with viewers openly trolling both the lead actor and the director.

Director Maruthi is facing the brunt of criticism for what audiences are calling weak writing and underwhelming execution.

Several social media users have shared screenshots and clips from the film, highlighting continuity errors and questionable scenes. Known for his medium-budget youthful entertainers and comedies, Maruthi was given a rare opportunity to direct a star of Prabhas’ stature, but many feel he failed to capitalize on it.

Prabhas, meanwhile, has not been spared either. Viewers have accused the actor of delivering a lackluster performance, with comments suggesting he appears disengaged in several scenes. There is also visible trolling around the extensive use of body doubles and inconsistent face-swapping visuals, which many feel worked against the film rather than enhancing it.

Produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under the People Media Factory banner, “The Raja Saab” featured Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, and Riddhi Kumar as the female leads. Despite the star power involved, the film’s OTT outing has only reignited the criticism it faced during its theatrical run.