Fast Take: The Raja Saab stands on shaky floor because it makes an attempt to mix horror, supernatural, and paranormal parts.

A younger man, Raju (Prabhas), tries to salvage his ancestral property and defend his grandmother from evil spirits. To perform his mission, he should confront haunted souls, together with one performed by Sanjay Dutt. Does he succeed? That varieties the crux of the story.

Director Maruthi takes virtually the complete first half—almost one hour and twenty-five minutes—to reach on the core plot of The Raja Saab. Weighty themes reminiscent of horror, the supernatural, and the paranormal are packed right into a narrative that oscillates jerkily between comedy and horror. Whereas the movie makes an attempt to ship chills, laughs, spooky twists, and humorous moments, it finally misses the mark. Weak writing and a scarcity of impactful scenes mar the narrative.

The movie opens with Raju caring for his grandmother (Zarina Wahab), who suffers from Alzheimer’s. He’s additionally on a mission to hint his lacking grandfather, Kanakaraju (Sanjay Dutt). Because the story progresses, Raju discovers that his grandfather has died and changed into a spirit. In the meantime, the romantic tracks involving Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, and Riddhi Kumar stay underdeveloped. None of Prabhas’s scenes with the main women elevate the romantic quotient or generate laughter. A number of sequences within the first half really feel stretched and bloated, probably resulting from extreme time spent establishing the movie’s world. The narrative struggles with weak writing and fails to do justice to the style, making the scares ineffective and the comedy fall flat. Prabhas, too, feels underutilized.

Kanakaraju’s backstory—detailing how he acquires tantric powers—is executed pretty effectively, aided by visible results. It is just at this level that the movie begins to realize momentum, resulting in a pre-interval spotlight that units up the second half successfully.

As soon as the second half begins, the movie shifts gears. The motion tightens, and the characters lastly begin to come alive. Historically, horror-comedies work finest when they’re crisp and tightly packaged. Nonetheless, with a three-hour runtime, The Raja Saab faces a big problem. That mentioned, Maruthi does put his finest foot ahead because the narrative turns into extra compact and the drama unfolds with higher readability.

Manufacturing designer Rajeevan’s haunted home set stands out visually, with almost 80 % of the movie shot at this location. It’s right here {that a} sequence of unusual occasions unfold, regularly revealing a deep-rooted psychological thriller.

The director introduces the idea of self-hypnosis as a way to fight spirits. By accessing mind-body connections and channelling feelings with heightened focus, one can supposedly keep away from falling prey to ghosts. This concept is successfully backed by an action-packed, VFX-heavy climax sequence between Prabhas and Sanjay Dutt. The episode elevates the movie significantly and is well its strongest stretch—although one wonders if it arrives just a little too late. At occasions, audiences should discover themselves confused by the unfolding narrative.

Prabhas stays the guts of the movie. He performs it straight when required and embraces the absurd when the script permits. Watching him return to a street-smart avatar after a sequence of larger-than-life roles is refreshing. His skill to evoke humour whereas navigating flashy settings and romantic subplots is a reminder of his versatility. Nidhhi Agerwal and Malavika Mohanan get some scope to carry out, whereas Riddhi Kumar’s function is extraordinarily restricted. Karthik Palani’s cinematography is top-notch, and Thaman scores effectively with the background rating. Whereas the songs are lavishly mounted, none depart an enduring influence.

Total, whereas The Raja Saab makes an attempt to mix thriller, horror, and humour, it really works solely in components. Given Prabhas’s stature and previous performances, the movie finally seems to be a letdown.

Additionally Learn: Prabhas Is a Global Sweetheart With Fans Everywhere: Director Maruthi