Hyderabad: The pre release event of Prabhas’ upcoming film The Raja Saab turned into a talking point on social media after a statement by director Maruthi sparked mixed reactions among fans. Grand event held in Hyderabad on Saturday with massive fan attendance and emotional mood with the filmmaker visibly suffering as he addressed the people. But one of the comments in his speech turned out to be a controversial point in the online world.
What Maruthi said about Prabhas’ global fame
While speaking on stage, Maruthi reflected on how Telugu cinema has gained global recognition over the past decade. He gave one instance of a trip to a far down South African village, in which the fame of Prabhas crossed boundaries. As the director says, when he said the name Prabhas, the local instantly recognised him to be the actor of Baahubali even in the Masai Mara area.
Maruthi used the moment to thank SS Rajamouli for changing the scale of Indian cinema worldwide. He credited the Baahubali filmmaker for introducing the pan India concept and expanding the global reach of Telugu films. During the process Maruthi said that Rajamouli had elevated a medium range hero to pan India status, and this was not something that was received well by a segment of the Prabhas fan base.
Fans divided over the remark
Soon after the event, social media platforms were flooded with reactions. Some fans thought that the term medium range hero was disrespectful bearing in mind that Prabhas has a long career and has had several blockbusters in the past such as Varsham, Chatrapati, Darling, Mr Perfect and Mirchi. There were even fans who noted that Prabhas had an awesome hit streak way before Baahubali, and wondered why the filmmaker used such a phrase.
Other people at the same time justified Marathi by claiming it was out of context. They reasoned that in the early 2000s and 2010s, actors like Prabhas, Allu Arjun and Ram Charan were regularly treated as tier two stars next to Mahesh Babu and Jr NTR before pan India blockbusters like Baahubali, Pushpa and RRR. According to this section, Maruthi was referring to industry perception at that time rather than undermining Prabhas’ stardom.
About The Raja Saab
The Raja Saab is a return to a mass entertainer of Prabhas, with the influence of comedy and fantasy, which his fans liked. Directed by Maruthi, the movie has an ensemble cast comprising of Sanjay Dutt, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, Riddhi Kumar and Boman Irani. The film is slated for a theatrical release on January 9, 2026, coinciding with the Sankranti festival.
Also Read | Yash Unveils Huma Qureshi’s Fierce First Look in Toxic as Elizabeth
