Director Maruthi-supervised Prema Katha Chitram was a trend-setter. It's also among Prabhas' favourite movies. When Prabhas asked Maruthi to develop a story in the horror-comedy genre, the filmmaker knew he was up for an uphill task.
"After Prema Katha Chitram, countless horror-comedies with the same template got made. A haunted bungalow, a bunch of comedians, and the fun they have with the ghost... The genre itself imposes severe limitations. So, when I had to make a big-scale horror-comedy thriller with an actor like Prabhas, I had to come up with something new. I had to think beyond the ordinary. The face-off between the hero and the antagonist had to be that factor. When you watch The Raja Saab, Prabhas' and my hard work will be visible," Maruthi says.
Maruthi's special sauce for The Raja Saab involves Sanjay Dutt's character. The film, also consisting of a fantasy element, will head to theatres on 9 January 2026.
