Prabhas’ Raja Saab team opens up on intense shooting schedule amid work-life balance debate: 'We would work 18 hours a day...'

Raja Saab team works 18 hours a day

The producers of Prabhas's eagerly awaited movie The Raja Saab provided a glimpse into the intense backstage work that went into the film's creation during the teaser launch, specifically addressing the ongoing discussion about introducing eight-hour work shifts in the film industry.

When the teaser was released in Hyderabad on June 16, the filmmakers disclosed that they frequently put in 16–18-hour days to make sure the film lived up to its ambitious scope.

TG Vishwa Prasad, one of the film’s producers, shared that The Raja Saab took two and a half years to complete, and highlighted the challenge of executing a major post-Kalki schedule that stretched from July to December.

“It’s already public how the film took two and a half years. The first difficult thing that we executed was that we had our big schedule post Kalki starting by end of July-mid August to all the way to end of December. I don’t know how Maruthi managed. He started at 6 am and ends at 11 am and continued this for more than 120 days,” he stated.

He continued by outlining the film's scope, which includes what is billed as the largest indoor set in the world and an intricate 40-minute climax. To realise its vision, the movie also needed about 300 days of visual effects work.

Director Maruthi, addressing the issue of long working hours in cinema, clarified that while actors typically operated within an 8-hour shift, the crew had to work nearly double that time. “What happens, they (actors) will work an 8-hour shift. I will keep some actors on one side (shift) and then [shoot with] some actors. But we (the crew) will work 18 hours a day: from morning, 6 am to 10 pm, we used to work definitely. That is why this much quality and content we could shoot,” he said.

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He also acknowledged the unwavering work of his production designer, director of photography, and entire technical team, saying that when the movie comes out, viewers will be able to see how much work went into the finished product.

Discussions concerning sustainable work hours in the entertainment industry have been further fuelled by reports that Deepika Padukone recently insisted on an 8-hour shift clause for her possible role in Spirit with Prabhas, which director Sandeep Reddy Vanga rejected.

On December 5, 2025, Maruthi's horror-comedy The Raja Saab is set to be released. Sanjay Dutt, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, and Boman Irani are also featured in the movie.