Bollywood
The Raja Saab vs Dhurandhar Box Office: Why Prabhas' New Release is Struggling to Beat a Month-Old Movie in Hindi
BY CHRISTA LINCY
The box office is currently witnessing a rare phenomenon where a month-old veteran is outperforming a star-studded new release in a key market. Prabhas' latest outing, The Raja Saab, arrived with massive pan-India expectations but is finding the going tough in the Hindi belt. Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh's spy thriller Dhurandhar, which entered its sixth week, continues to show remarkable resilience. The most striking takeaway from the current box office reports is the Hindi net collection. On its third day (Sunday), The Raja Saab managed to collect approximately ₹4.65 Cr in the Hindi market. In a sharp contrast, Dhurandhar—on its 37th day—earned an estimated ₹5.75 Cr. It is highly unusual for a new film led by a Pan-India superstar to be outpaced in its first weekend by a movie that has been in theaters for over five weeks. The Raja Saab's Hindi journey started with ₹6 Cr on Day 1, followed by ₹5.1 Cr on Day 2, and the decline to ₹4.65 Cr on Day 3 sis particularly concerning, as the film missed out on the standard Sunday surge usually seen at the box office. While the Hindi numbers tell a story of struggle, the overall India Net and Worldwide figures for The Raja Saab remain respectable, largely due to Prabhas' iron grip on the Telugu market. In its first three days, the movie has clocked: India Net Collection: ₹108.00 Cr India Gross Collection: ₹129.20 Cr Worldwide Collection: ₹161.00 Cr Overseas Collection: ₹31.80 Cr These figures are a testament to Prabhas' massive fanbase, which ensured a strong opening despite the hurdles. However, for a film reportedly mounted on a budget of ₹300–400 Cr, these numbers need significant sustainability, which is currently under threat. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The primary reason for The Raja Saab's struggle in the Hindi belt appears to be the poor word of mouth.Unlike Prabhas' recent hits like Kalki 2898 AD or Salaar, which offered high-octane action or grand sci-fi, The Raja Saab is a horror-comedy that many critics have labeled as too regional or outdated. Audience feedback has been critical of the concept lack, uneven VFX, and a screenplay that fails to grip the viewer.Many North Indian viewers, who were expecting an event film, found the horror elements lacking logic and the comedy failing to land. On the other side of the spectrum, Dhurandhar has set a benchmark for consistency.Released only in the Hindi language, the film achieved the rare feat of maintaining double-digit daily collections for 28 consecutive days. Even with the arrival of a major competitor, Dhurandhar saw a 69% jump in its sixth Saturday, proving that solid word-of-mouth can sustain a film long after the initial hype fades. While The Raja Saab is fighting a battle of damage control in the North, Dhurandhar is comfortably sitting on a domestic net of over ₹805 Cr, making it the most successful solo Hindi release in recent history. The comparison highlights a clear divide: while stardom can guarantee a ₹100 Cr opening weekend, longevity is driven by content.The Raja Saab remains afloat on the strength of the Telugu states, but its inability to surpass a 37-day-old Dhurandhar in the Hindi belt serves as a reality check for the film's pan-India appeal.
