Prabhas’ fantasy horror-comedy is harmless fun; baddie Sanjay Dutt and ambitious storyline impress, but…

Director: Maruthi Dasari

Cast: Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Zarina Wahab

Duration: 3 hours 6 minutes

Where to watch: In theaters

Rating: 3 stars

Raju (Prabhas), restless, impulsive and devoted to his grandmother Gangamma (Zarina Wahab), once a powerful zamindar, now lives in poverty and fading health. He believes their family’s bad luck began with the theft of a sacred necklace, which draws Raju into a family mystery involving his missing grandfather, Kanakraju (Sanjay Dutt). What begins as a quest soon turns into something darker; touches on family legacy and several supernatural events. Raja Saab begins with a mix of emotions and supernatural events that grab your attention immediately.

The setup has all the makings of a great horror comedy, but the film doesn’t quite stick the landing. Raja Saab has the vision of being the ultimate horror comedy, but the ‘convoluted’ execution at the end kills the fun and ends up being a decidedly average film that appeals only to die-hard fans. The first half establishes the world well enough and keeps you interested in the characters. But after a while, the story starts to lose focus. Especially the second half drags things out. The pace slows down and you can feel the tension easing. As the film approaches its grand finale, it’s hard not to feel a little worn out, even as the stakes continue to rise.

Prabhas often features in such films but here it feels oddly quiet, especially before the climax. He’s a solid guy, but the moment the movie needs him to light things up, that initial spark is gone. Sanjay Dutt puts some emphasis on the flashback episodes, but keeps his villain a familiar, one-note threat, so it’s never as interesting or complex as you’d hope.

Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal and Riddhi Kumar look great on screen but the script never gives them much to do. Its characters hint that there’s more to come, but they end up serving the story rather than continuing it, so there’s not much room left for them to leave a lasting impression. And dropping two songs into the already slow second half would bog things down even further and disrupt the flow the narrative had left.

From a technical standpoint, things are looking better. The VFX are truly impressive for a local horror-fantasy film and look great on the big screen. The climax is a standout – visually bold and conceptually powerful – so you get a worthwhile payoff even if your patience has worn thin by then. Director Maruti shows moments of restraint and style, but the balance between horror, comedy, emotion and fantasy is not always achieved.

Ultimately, Raja Saab feels like a film that has all the right pieces for a standout horror comedy but can’t bring them together coherently. There’s craftsmanship here, a strong climax and flashes that work, but it’s hampered by the scattered script and slow second half. If you are a Prabhas fan, you will have a good time watching him in theatres. For everyone else, this is a one-time viewing; It’s not something you’d rush to recommend. Overall, Raja Saab is an average movie that will appeal to Prabhas’ fans but could be the ultimate horror-comedy for an avid moviegoer.