Prabhas’ pan‑India horror‑comedy “The Raja Saab” opened like an event film—and then faced a sharp weekday reality check. After paid previews on January 8 and a wide theatrical launch on January 9, 2026, early trackers show a steep drop by the first Monday, even as the film keeps posting headline totals in India and overseas.
The biggest story so far is not just the cumulative figure; it’s the shape of the run: a front‑loaded start driven by fan shows and advance sales, followed by a rapid cool‑down linked to mixed-to-negative word of mouth and weak traction in the Hindi belt. Bollyflix provide Best reviews and information.
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Key Takeaways
- Day 4 dip is real: Major trackers and publications report the first Monday landing in the ₹5–7 crore range, after a ₹50+ crore Day 1.
- India total (net) after Day 4: Most reports cluster around ₹113–₹115 crore (including paid previews), but figures vary as trackers update through the day.
- Worldwide gross after Day 4: Indian Express’ live update places the film around ₹183 crore worldwide by Day 4.
- Hindi version is the soft spot: Occupancy and language-wise reporting consistently show Telugu driving the bulk of collections.
- OTT talk is loud, official confirmation is not: Multiple outlets report JioHotstar has the digital rights, with a likely late‑February window, but makers/platform haven’t pinned a date publicly yet.
Table of Contents
Box Office Snapshot (Day 0 to Day 4): India vs Worldwide
This section sticks to what established trade trackers and mainstream outlets are reporting. “Net” and “gross” often get mixed in social posts, so the table below labels what each figure represents and avoids claiming “final” numbers while the run is still live.
Related Posts
| Day (2026) | India Net (All Languages) – Most Cited Tracker Numbers | What Most Reports Say Happened | Worldwide Gross (Headline Updates) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (Thu, Jan 8) – paid previews | ~₹9.15 cr | Early fan/premiere shows set up a strong opening narrative. | — |
| Day 1 (Fri, Jan 9) | ~₹53.75–₹54.15 cr | Big opening day; Telugu market led; Hindi contribution stayed comparatively low. | ~₹100.90 cr (Day 1 worldwide headline) |
| Day 2 (Sat, Jan 10) | ~₹26–₹27.8 cr | Large drop versus Day 1, a key early warning signal for word of mouth. | — |
| Day 3 (Sun, Jan 11) | ~₹19–₹20 cr | Lowest first Sunday for Prabhas in years per India Today’s comparison story. | ~₹158 cr (3‑day worldwide gross headline) |
| Day 4 (Mon, Jan 12) | ~₹5–₹7 cr (reports vary) | First Monday slip into single digits; multiple outlets call it a major crash. | ~₹183 cr (4‑day worldwide gross headline) |
On Day 4 specifically, publications citing the same tracker still show different totals (some update mid‑day, some after night shows). That is why you’ll see Day 4 reported around ₹5.4 crore in some reports and higher in others; the safer journalistic read is a single‑digit Monday that clearly signals a front‑loaded run.
Language Split + Occupancy: Where the Film Is Holding, Where It’s Slipping
Most mainstream coverage agrees on one pattern: Telugu is doing the heavy lifting, while dubbed versions—especially Hindi—are not matching “pan‑India event” expectations despite huge show counts.
Early day-one reporting highlighted how wide the release was: Indian Express noted thousands of shows and reported relatively strong Telugu occupancy (with much softer Hindi occupancy) along with hefty advance sales.
- Advance sales signal: ~5.62 lakh tickets and ~₹28.09 crore advance sales were reported via tracker data carried by Indian Express.
- Occupancy gap: Telugu occupancy stayed far healthier than Hindi in early reports, which matters because a “pan‑India” total needs Hindi circuits to stabilize weekday numbers.
By Day 4, even Telugu occupancy cooled, with Times of India citing an overall Telugu occupancy in the mid‑20% range on Monday—exactly the kind of weekday softness that makes recoveries tough unless the festival week brings a second wave.
Why Collections Fell After Day 1: The Most Cited Reasons
Third‑person reporting across outlets has converged on a few explanations: mixed-to-negative reception, runtime fatigue, and weaker dubbed‑market pull. These factors typically hit hardest on Day 2 and the first Monday—precisely where Raja Saab’s trendline dropped.
India Today’s box office report and review framing has been particularly blunt, tying the fall to reception and also emphasizing that Telugu remains the primary driver while other languages stay limited.
Runtime also became part of the public narrative before release: Indian Express reported the UA 16+ certificate and a listed runtime around 189 minutes after CBFC-suggested trims. Long runtimes reduce show capacity per screen per day, so once footfalls soften, collections can drop faster than they would for a tighter film.
Ticket Pricing + Court/Policy Noise: Did It Help or Hurt?
In the Telugu states, ticket pricing discussions were not just fan chatter—they became a headline. Times of India reported Andhra Pradesh allowing high-priced premiere tickets (up to ₹1000), a move that can inflate opening-day gross but also raises the “value for money” bar when talk turns mixed.
Separately, Times of India’s Hyderabad reporting said the Telangana High Court suspended a ticket-rate hike memo linked to the film, adding uncertainty for exhibitors and audiences around pricing during the opening stretch.
The practical takeaway is simple: higher ticket prices can supercharge Day 1, but they rarely fix weekday drops if the audience does not recommend the film strongly. Raja Saab’s Day 4 fall suggests pricing did not prevent the word-of-mouth effect.
OTT Release & Streaming Partner: What’s Confirmed vs What’s Still “Reported”
No official “streaming date” announcement has surfaced from the makers/platform in the latest mainstream reporting I reviewed. However, multiple outlets have reported the same directional outcome: JioHotstar holds the digital rights, and a late‑February 2026 window looks plausible if the film follows a common 6–8 week theatrical window.
Deccan Chronicle’s January 9 report explicitly pointed to an end‑February streaming expectation while noting that the official date was still pending. Treat this as a “likely window,” not a confirmation.
ABP Live also carried the widely-circulating trade claim that the digital deal is around ₹160 crore. Because deal values often come from trade chatter rather than filings, readers should treat the amount as reported unless the production house discloses it on record.
Platform strategy and pan‑India impact
From an industry lens, a single, large multi‑language OTT partner matters because it can “rebuild” reach where theatrical traction was weak—especially in Hindi markets. If JioHotstar rolls out strong dubbing/subtitles and front‑page placement, the film can still find a second life with families and casual viewers who skipped theatres.
Pan‑India Strategy: What This Run Says About the 2026 Theatrical Market
The Raja Saab’s first four days underline a now-familiar theatrical truth: star power can still deliver a massive opening, but weekday business increasingly depends on audience conversation. That is why coverage quickly moved from “record start” headlines to “Monday crash” headlines within 72–96 hours.
The film also illustrates a second truth: “pan‑India” is not a label, it’s a performance across markets. Early reporting showed low Hindi occupancy compared to Telugu, and India Today’s language-split reporting reinforced that the Telugu version is the engine while other languages contribute modestly.
I also see a Sankranthi-week wildcard here. The festival corridor can lift footfalls even for mixed‑talk films, but it can also intensify competition for screens. If the film does not stabilize by the holiday window, theatres may pivot shows faster to better-performing titles.
What This Means for You (Viewer Relevance)
If you are deciding whether to watch “The Raja Saab” in theatres, the early trend suggests you should go in with clear expectations: this is a big opening, mixed-reception film that may play best for audiences who mainly want Prabhas’ larger‑than‑life screen presence and a festival‑style theatre vibe.
If you prefer a cleaner consensus pick and you don’t enjoy long runtimes, waiting for OTT may suit you better—especially since multiple outlets are already pointing to a post‑theatrical streaming window and naming the likely platform partner.
How to Read Box Office Numbers Without Getting Misled (Bollyflix mention)
During big releases, you’ll see numbers everywhere—fan pages, WhatsApp forwards, and entertainment blogs (including names like Bollyflix) often amplify early collection claims. The safest approach is to cross-check only with consistent trade-tracker references carried by mainstream newsrooms and to watch the trend (Day 2 drop, Monday hold) rather than chasing one “perfect” total.
Also remember three common confusion points: (1) net vs gross, (2) India vs worldwide, and (3) mid‑day vs end‑of‑day updates. Raja Saab’s Day 4 reporting is a textbook example of why totals can vary across reputable outlets even when they cite the same tracker.
FAQs (People Also Ask + Trending Search Queries)
What is The Raja Saab total box office collection after 4 days?
As of Monday, January 12, 2026 (Day 4), most mainstream reports place The Raja Saab at roughly ₹113–₹115 crore net in India (including paid previews). Worldwide gross headlines place it around ₹183 crore by Day 4, but totals vary by outlet due to tracker updates through the day.
Why did The Raja Saab collections drop so sharply after Day 1?
Reports repeatedly point to mixed-to-negative word of mouth, long runtime fatigue, and limited traction in dubbed markets—especially Hindi—despite a strong Telugu opening. That combination typically shows up as a steep Day 2 fall and a weak first Monday.
Is The Raja Saab a hit or flop already?
It is too early to give a final verdict in the first week, but the Day 4 single-digit trend is a red flag for long legs. Trade verdicts usually depend on week-one totals, weekday holds, and the film’s recovery during the Sankranthi holiday corridor.
Where will The Raja Saab stream on OTT, and when?
Several outlets report JioHotstar as the post-theatrical streaming partner. A late-February 2026 window is being reported, but the makers/platform have not announced an official streaming date in the latest coverage.
What is The Raja Saab runtime and certification?
Indian Express reported that the film received a UA 16+ certificate with a listed runtime around 189 minutes after certain trims/changes suggested during certification.
Conclusion + Future Expectations (Sankranthi Week Watch)
The Raja Saab’s box office story (so far) is a clear two‑part headline: a strong event-style opening followed by a steep Monday drop. By January 12–13 reporting, the trendline—not just the cumulative total—has become the core metric that analysts and audiences are watching.
Next, attention shifts to the Sankranthi corridor and weekday holds. If the film finds a family audience during the holiday, it can stabilize and push totals upward; if it does not, the OTT runway (reportedly on JioHotstar) will become the more important “second life” chapter of its business story.
