What The Rajasaab is about
The Rajasaab sets its story in motion with a deceptively simple premise: a young man, driven by his grandmother's dying wish, goes looking for his missing grandfather and ends up inside a haunted mansion that has been keeping very old secrets. What he finds there isn't just a family mystery — it's an ancient curse, a supernatural presence, and a reality that starts bending around him in ways that are equal parts terrifying and absurd. Director Maruthi leans hard into the genre blend, threading hypnosis, musical interludes, and a romantic fantasy subplot through what is otherwise a haunted-house horror frame. The grandfather-grandson relationship at the heart of the story gives the film its emotional anchor, even when the plot around it gets genuinely strange.
Behind the making of The Rajasaab: cast, production and box office
The Rajasaab was written and directed by Maruthi, produced by T.G. Vishwa Prasad's People Media Factory alongside IVY Entertainment, and released in Indian cinemas on 9 January 2026. The cast is, on paper, a serious draw: Prabhas plays the lead, with Sanjay Dutt as the missing grandfather, Malavika Mohanan and Nidhhi Agerwal as the film's romantic leads, Riddhi Kumar in a supporting role, and the veteran Zarina Wahab rounding out the ensemble. That's a lot of talent in one 186-minute package.
At the box office, the opening was genuinely stunning — at least by the numbers. According to The Times of India's live box-office blog, The Rajasaab pulled in approximately ₹45 crore net on its first day across all languages, with paid previews pushing the total opening to around ₹54–54.4 crore. Telugu-state occupancy hit roughly 69% during night shows. That first-day figure reportedly cleared the opening-day numbers of both the 2025 blockbuster Chhaava and the original Baahubali in India — a remarkable stat, whatever you think of the film itself. The movie is part of The RajaSaab Collection franchise, which means the studio was clearly building toward something larger. Whether the critical reception derailed those plans is, honestly, hard to say at this point.
No major awards recognition has been confirmed as of this writing. The film carries a runtime of 186 minutes and was distributed by Prathyangira Cinemas in certain markets.
The performances and craft of The Rajasaab — and where it struggles
Here's the uncomfortable truth about The Rajasaab: the gap between its ambition and its execution is wide enough to drive a haunted carriage through. The film attempts to hold together comedy, horror, romance, fantasy, musical numbers, and what trade coverage calls "mass" elements — all at once, all in the same film — and critics have largely concluded that the juggling act collapses. Film Information's review described the story as "hotch-potch" and the screenplay as unengaging, going so far as to say the film "stands no chance at the Hindi box-office" and will result in "huge losses" given its production cost. YouTube critics were similarly harsh, with at least one high-profile review branding it among the worst films of 2026.
What's striking is that even the harshest reviews tend to acknowledge Prabhas's star power as the one thing keeping audiences in their seats. The man has a screen presence that's hard to dismiss, and there are individual moments — particularly the early scenes inside the mansion, where the haunted-house atmosphere is played relatively straight — where you can see what a tighter cut of this film might have been. The musical sequences arrive somewhat out of nowhere (not unlike the curse itself), and the hypnosis subplot feels like it belongs in a different, possibly better movie. The ancient-curse mythology is genuinely interesting in concept; the problem is that the screenplay never quite commits to it. The IMDb rating sits at 3.5 out of 10 from nearly 10,000 votes, which tells its own story.
That said, the romantic fantasy elements between Prabhas and the film's leads have their moments of charm, and Sanjay Dutt's presence — even in a role that keeps him largely mysterious — lends the grandfather-grandson dynamic a weight it might otherwise lack.
Where to stream The Rajasaab online
The Rajasaab is currently available on major OTT services following its theatrical run. The quickest way to find out exactly which platform has it in your region right now is to check the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page — it updates in real time as licensing deals shift. Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability across platforms so you don't have to manually check each service; if The Rajasaab has moved, the widget will reflect that. Streaming rights for big-budget Telugu productions can move between platforms fairly quickly in the months after release, so it's worth verifying before you settle in for what is, let's be clear, a three-hour-plus commitment. Movie OTT's aggregator pulls live data across the major services, making it the most reliable single stop for up-to-date availability.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed The Rajasaab?
The Rajasaab was written and directed by Maruthi, the Telugu filmmaker known for blending genre elements in commercially oriented productions. The film was produced by People Media Factory and IVY Entertainment.
Q: Where can I watch The Rajasaab?
The Rajasaab is available on major OTT streaming platforms. Check the Where to Watch widget at the top of this Movie OTT page for the most current, region-specific streaming options, as availability can change after theatrical release windows close.
Q: How long is The Rajasaab?
The Rajasaab has a runtime of 186 minutes — just over three hours. That's a significant time investment, and several critics noted that the film's pacing suffers across that length.
Q: Is The Rajasaab part of a series?
Yes. The Rajasaab is part of The RajaSaab Collection franchise, suggesting the production was conceived with sequels or connected stories in mind, though the critical and commercial trajectory of this first entry may influence what comes next.
Q: How did The Rajasaab perform at the box office on opening day?
Despite negative critical reviews, The Rajasaab opened to approximately ₹54 crore total (including paid previews) on 9 January 2026 in India, driven heavily by Prabhas's fanbase. Telugu-state night-show occupancy reached around 69%, and the opening reportedly exceeded first-day figures for both Chhaava and the original Baahubali.
Final thoughts on The Rajasaab — who should actually watch it
The Rajasaab is a film for a specific kind of viewer: someone who's genuinely curious about what happens when a haunted-house horror, a musical romcom, and an ancient-curse fantasy are all forced to share the same screen for three hours. Prabhas fans will find enough to hold their attention. Genre completists tracking the horror-comedy space in Indian cinema will want to see it for context. Casual viewers expecting a tight, coherent thriller should probably look elsewhere. For everyone deciding, movieott.com has the streaming details you need to make the call without a trip to the cinema.
