The Raja Saab Review: Raja with no reign

The Raja Saab, What’s the story about?

Raju, fondly known as Raja Saab (Prabhas), lives with his grandmother Gangamma (Zarina Wahab), who often reminisces about her once-royal life and yearns to reunite with her long-missing husband (Sanjay Dutt). Owing to her frequent memory lapses caused by the early stages of Alzheimer’s, Raja Saab brushes aside her claims as mere imagination. However, when a friend shows him photographs clicked in Hyderabad, Raju notices a striking resemblance to his grandfather in the background of one picture. Intrigued, he decides to travel to Hyderabad in search of the truth.

In the city, Raja Saab reunites with his friend and soon encounters Betsy (Nidhhi Agerwal), a beautiful woman on the verge of taking vows as a nun, leaving him instantly smitten.

Soon after, Bhairavi (Malavika Mohanan), who claims to know the whereabouts of his grandfather, enters his life, and the two grow close. Their search eventually leads Raja Saab, Bhairavi, and their friends to a mysterious palace hidden in the Narsapur forest, where they realise they are trapped.

Will Raja Saab manage to escape the palace? And will he finally find his grandfather? Or has he turned into a restless spirit haunting the place?

Analysis

“The Raja Saab,” directed by Maruthi, marks a clear genre shift for Prabhas. Watching him in a horror-comedy setup is refreshing, not just as an idea but also on screen. With stronger writing, this attempt of placing him in a fun-filled role layered with a mind-twist could have turned out to be a truly welcome experiment for a mass hero. While Maruthi chooses a fairly interesting premise for a horror comedy and shows occasional sparks in the second half, particularly in the extended episode involving Boman Irani and Prabhas followed by the hospital sequence, the film as a whole fails to rise above its largely formulaic treatment.

The dated template of a mass hero romancing two or three heroines, with the female characters largely reduced to showcasing glamour, has long lost its relevance. Perhaps Maruthi intended to present Prabhas in that familiar space, but the execution does not work.

The first half, which largely revolves around these romantic tracks and flirtatious episodes, feels cliched and old-fashioned. As a result, these portions come across as underwhelming and, at times, downright boring. The three female characters only add to the film’s lag without contributing meaningfully to the narrative, and none of them are given a complete character arc.

Maruthi’s films usually offer engaging comedy, but here the humour often slips into farce and feels poorly conceived.

The film finds its real strength only in the latter part, where the evil force hypnotizes the protagonist and traps him within its control, and the hero attempts to escape this maze with the help of the Sapta Chakralu. This is precisely why the final half hour works better, especially after Boman Irani’s character enters the narrative. The long stretch of Prabhas trying to break free and save his grandmother is gripping, and his performance in this segment stands out.

Unfortunately, such sharpness in writing and engaging narration is missing in the rest of the film. As a result, “The Raja Saab” ends up being a largely cliched horror drama, despite having a few well-crafted moments in the pre-climax.

While the sets are undeniably opulent, the visual effects fall short of top quality in several portions, affecting the overall impact. However, more than the VFX, it is the cringe-inducing romantic episodes and bland comedy that hurt the film the most.

Prabhas brings a sense of fun and colour to his performance and clearly enjoys stepping into a lighter, more vibrant space. As mentioned earlier, he truly shines in the pre-climax. That said, greater attention to his looks and makeup was needed. Plus, there is visible inconsistency in dialogue delivery.

Veteran actress Zarina Wahab is okay. Sanjay Dutt is neat as the evil force, both in terms of look and performance. Boman Irani makes a strong impression in his brief role. The three leading heroines, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan and Riddhi Kumar, serve their limited purpose of adding visual appeal.

Thaman’s music is serviceable, while the cinematography remains competent throughout.

Bottom line: In “The Raja Saab,” Maruthi’s core idea holds promise, but the execution falters mainly. The lack of genuine horror elements and the absence of his trademark comic timing are clearly felt. The old-style romantic tracks and flirtatious sequences further dilute the narrative. The film comes alive in the final half hour, particularly during the mind-game-driven sequences but overall, The Raja Saab fails to reign either as a horror or as a comedy.

Rating: 2.25/5

By Jalapathy Gudelli