The RajaSaab Review: Prabhas’s Horror Comedy Lacks Story, Scares and Substance

The RajaSaab, the much-anticipated fantasy horror comedy starring Prabhas, released in theatres on January 9, sets out to blend humour, horror and emotion but ends up delivering an exhausting cinematic experience that struggles to justify its scale and ambition.

Directed by Maruthi, the film revolves around Raja, a good-hearted man living with his grandmother Gangamma, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Her memories are limited to her missing husband, Kanakaraju, played by Sanjay Dutt, and her grandson. Haunted by recurring dreams, she urges Raja to search for his grandfather, setting the story in motion.

What begins as a potentially intriguing emotional quest soon spirals into a loosely stitched narrative that jumps unpredictably between locations, genres and ideas. Raja’s journey from a village to Hyderabad and eventually to a haunted palace lacks narrative flow, leaving viewers searching not just for the missing grandfather, but for coherence, emotional depth and purpose.

Despite its three-hour runtime, the film fails to establish strong character motivations. Key questions—such as Raja’s family background or his emotional stakes—remain unanswered. As a result, the protagonist’s journey feels hollow, making it difficult to connect with his struggles or root for his success.

The horror-comedy genre typically relies on a familiar structure involving a supernatural entity, a revealing flashback and a redemption arc. However, The RajaSaab struggles even with these basics. The screenplay attempts to juggle exorcism, hypnosis, tantric rituals and supernatural lore, but instead of enriching the narrative, these elements clutter it. Ideas are introduced only to be abandoned, giving the film a fragmented and directionless feel.

Visually, the film also falters. Despite a reported budget of nearly Rs 400 crore, the visual effects appear inconsistent and, at times, noticeably artificial. Several green-screen sequences and overly processed character visuals undermine immersion rather than enhance it. The haunted palace, which should have been central to the film’s atmosphere, fails to evoke fear or intrigue.

While Prabhas brings flashes of effective comic timing, these moments are too few to salvage the experience. Supporting actors Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal and Riddhi Kumar are underutilised, reduced to ornamental roles with little narrative impact.

The film briefly hints at creative possibilities, particularly in sequences involving hypnosis and medical settings, but these moments are never fully developed. Poor editing further exposes narrative gaps, making transitions abrupt and scenes feel disconnected.

Ultimately, The RajaSaab emerges as a film that relies heavily on star power but neglects the fundamentals of storytelling. What could have been an engaging horror comedy instead becomes a drawn-out, uneven experience that struggles to balance humour, fear and emotion. Despite its scale and cast, the film fails to deliver the charm, thrills or chills that audiences expect from the genre.