Prabhas has assured director Maruthi that The Raja Saab will eventually reach the audience. As per the filmmaker, the fantasy and psychological horror elements are slowly being appreciated by the audience. In a media interaction on Tuesday, Maruthi expressed immense satisfaction over the film grossing Rs 200 Cr in four days.
"The record-breaking collections are a clear signal: the audience has embraced Prabhas in this new territory. Seeing houseful boards across B and C centers confirms that our gamble paid off. We intentionally downplayed his character’s entry to subvert expectations," the director, known for Bhale Bhale Mogadivoy and Prati Roju Pandage, said.
The scenes/episodes following the entry of Boman Irani's Dr. Padmabhushan are not easy to grasp at once. A festival release is typically expected to be light on everything. "While dispatching a ghost is a common trope in horror films, I felt a talent of Prabhas’s stature required something more substantial than a standard horror-comedy. To match his pan-India appeal, we integrated complex fantasy and psychological elements, elevating the production to a massive scale," the director said.
He reiterated that the true depth of The Raja Saab becomes evident only on a rewatch. "Showing a character slipping into a trance visually, and presenting the subconscious mind on screen, is quite challenging. We worked extremely hard on the reverse scenes in Prabhas’ old getup (which were added from Day 2 in all theatres)," Maruthi shared.
Prabhas approached the old man role, which lasts four minutes, with utmost sincerity. "He told me he would give his 100% because the writing is great," Maruthi added, briefly mentioning the wicked Joker smile toward the end. This particular get-up is a lead to the sequel.
Maruthi is happy that Prabhas' fans are loving the colourful songs and a commercial presentation of their favourite actor. He is hardly affected by what critics and trolls are saying about the film. "For every four people criticizing The Raja Saab, ten times more individuals are liking it," Maruthi reminded.
His closing remarks were, "I wanted to prove that a film featuring a massive superstar can still be driven by a strong, unpredictable narrative. This journey was also a technical evolution for me, particularly in mastering the complexities of high-end CG"
