Prabhas’s upcoming film The Raja Saab, directed by Maruthi, is already making headlines — but not for the reasons fans might expect. With the film slated for a big theatrical release on 9 January and special paid premieres planned in the United States a day earlier, excitement should have been the dominant emotion.
Instead, social media found itself buzzing with frustration as soon as advance bookings quietly opened this Tuesday.
The moment early tickets went live for a limited number of US screens, fans immediately noticed something startling: the prices were unusually high.
In fact, many were shocked to see that The Raja Saab’s premiere tickets were being sold at rates higher than James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, one of the biggest global releases of the season.
Venky Box Office, a popular X (formerly Twitter) handle, was quick to share the ticket breakdown as soon as the listings went public. They posted, “XD D-Box - $38 ( ₹3417), Special Premium Formats - $35 ( ₹3147), Standard D-Box - $33 ( ₹2967), XD / Other PLF - $30 ( ₹2698), Standard - $25 ( ₹2248).” And that’s when the online uproar truly began.
Fans expressed everything from disbelief to disappointment. One user couldn’t hold back, writing, “18$ ( ₹1618) imax for a #AvatarFireAndAsh and a maruthi film 38$ ( ₹3417).. u ask why people wont come to theatre.” Another highlighted the pricing gap bluntly: “#TheRajasaab least ticket price ($25- ₹2248) >>>> AVATAR-3 DOLBY VISION tck price ($20- ₹1798).”
Some posts were even more direct in their criticism. One frustrated viewer wrote, “in my honest opinion anyone that is spending nearly two times the price to watch #TheRajaSaab than watching #AvatarFireAsh is just stupid…” accusing the distributor of taking Telugu fans for granted.
Others questioned whether such aggressive pricing made sense for the film’s current hype. “Considering movie's hype pricing should be reasonable but seeing such high rates (more than Kalki) is making confusion among many fans and trade,” one person wrote.
Another user broke down the $38 ticket cost by comparing it to weekly groceries, fuel, or insurance, ending with: “@SKNonline you want to spend 38$ for maruthi film”
The Raja Saab stars Sanjay Dutt, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, and Riddhi Kumar alongside Prabhas. Despite being announced in January 2024 and starting production way back in October 2022, the film faced several delays.
Now set for a Sankranthi release on 9 January 2026, the movie is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films of 2026.
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