Horror comedies new blockbuster formula? Prabhas' The Raja Saab trailer receives massive response

Horror comedies seem to be the new blockbuster formula after Prabhas' The Raja Saab trailer launch on September 29 received massive response. The upcoming Tollywood movie is one of the most anticipated films of 2026 which will hit the silver screen on the occasion of Pongal festival on January 9.

Maruthi directorial movie is produced by TG Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad under the banner People Media Factory. Its release will clash with Tamil superstar Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan.

Portraying Prabhas in dual role, the Telugu-language romantic horror comedy will release in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada on January 9. To avoid clash with Tamil-language political action thriller Jana Nayagan, Tamil release date has been pushed back by a day.

The 3 minutes 30 seconds trailer of the horror comedy opens with the dialogue, “Take a deep breath, you brain will now follow only my commands” and features Newton's Cradle. Then Prabhas takes the foreground and four shadows surround him.

Social media reaction

A user wrote, “Prabhas ki royal charm + Sanjay Dutt ka powerful swag… aur upar se horror comedy ka unique blend.”

Another user remarked, “Prabhas always give something new for filmylovers and his fans.”

A third comment read, “Crocodile 🐊 scene was 💥💥💥🔥🔥🔥💀💀💀.”

A fourth user replied, "That witty dialogue delivery and his light hearted screen presence which we missed since Mirchi is pure GOLD in #TheRajaSaabTrailer."

A fifth user stated, “The Raja Saab trailer Prabhas looks epic! 🔥 But Sanjay Dutt repeating same villain vibe feels kinda boring now 😅.”

Film trade analyst Sumit Kadel in a post on X stated, “This is the BIGGEST film in the horror-comedy genre in terms of scale and grandeur, and it should get a thunderous opening in India & overseas. #Prabhas is back in a chilled-out, fun role after ages, and his audience will absolutely love it.”

The Raja Saab star cast

The ensemble cast features Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal , Riddhi Kumar and Zarina Wahab in pivotal roles alongside lead actor Prabhas.

The Raja Saab plot

The gripping narrative centres around a young man who sets his eyes on his ancestral property to ease him out of a cash crunch. IMDb description states, “A young heir embraces both his royal heritage and rebellious spirit as he rises to power, establishing unprecedented rules during his reign as Raja Saab.”