At the pre-release event for the upcoming film 'The Raja Saab' in Hyderabad on Saturday evening, actor Prabhas shared his experience working alongside Sanjay Dutt, who plays a pivotal role in the horror-fantasy entertainer. Prabhas expressed his admiration for Dutt's captivating screen presence, noting the powerful impact the veteran actor had during the dubbing process.
"Sanjay sir… just your screen presence is more than enough," Prabhas remarked, addressing the audience at the event. He humorously added, "When they put a close-up on you, you completely consume the screen. When I watched his scenes during dubbing, I started forgetting my own scenes".
'The Raja Saab', written and directed by Maruthi, is produced by People Media Factory and IVY Entertainment. The film boasts an ensemble cast including Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, and Riddhi Kumar, alongside Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, and Boman Irani. The movie is slated for a pan-India theatrical release on January 9, 2026, in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.
The trailer for the highly anticipated film was unveiled in September. The three-minute-and-31-second trailer opens on a gripping note, showing Prabhas' character being controlled through hypnosis by Boman Irani's character, setting a dark and mysterious tone. The trailer also offers glimpses of romance between Prabhas and the film's three female leads.
Sanjay Dutt, known for his ability to portray menacing roles, plays a powerful antagonist with a fiery ghost avatar in 'The Raja Saab'. This isn't Dutt's first foray into South Indian cinema; he previously impressed audiences with his roles as Adheera in 'KGF 2' and as Anthony Das in 'Leo'.
The film is scheduled to release worldwide on January 9, 2026, coinciding with Sankranthi in Telugu. Dubbed versions in Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi languages will also be released, thus clashing with 'Jana Nayagan' and 'Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu'. The Tamil dubbed version is scheduled to release one day later on January 10, 2026.
Initially, the film was set to release on April 10, 2025, and then on December 5, 2025, however, it was later postponed multiple times due to pending post-production work. The film marks the maiden collaboration between Prabhas and director Maruthi, with Maruthi calling it a "golden opportunity" to direct a star like Prabhas.
'The Raja Saab' reportedly takes place at the backdrop of an old cinema theatre. Prabhas reportedly plays dual roles in the film, as the owner of a theatre and another as a ghost, playing both grandson and grandfather.
