Will Saaho make Prabhas a big name in Bollywood?

Image courtesy: T-Series Twitter

Prabhas became a household name after the success of the Baahubali franchise not just down south but pan-India. If southern markets welcomed the Prabhas-starrer with open arms, so did the Hindi speaking audience.

While Baahubali was a film dubbed in Hindi, the south superstar’s recent offering Saaho is his debut film in the Hindi film industry, where the audience will see him on the big screen delivering his dialogues in Hindi.

Will Saaho make Prabhas a big name in Bollywood?

If early trends for the Hindi version of the film are anything to go by, then Prabhas’ future in the Hindi film space looks bright. This is because the film has seen a good opening for the Hindi version. The film’s opening day numbers could even be a benchmark for south films releasing in Hindi versions.

Among the highest earners in India, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion and 2.0 top the list so far.

While Baahubali: The Beginning sets the stage for its sequel, which made record numbers in the Hindi market and minted as much as Rs 500 crore from Hindi version alone, 2.0 featured a Bollywood biggie—Akshay Kumar and the film managed to mint around Rs 269 crore.

But Saaho is a standalone film and its strong start could set a target for dubbed films.

All this means that Prabhas has a good chance of consolidating his position in Bollywood. Film and trade business analyst Girish Johar agrees.

“The trending of the film (Saaho) was fantastic. It is a non-holiday release. The makers have targeted 3000-3,500 screens for the Hindi version alone. He is a well-established star down south and he will be taking a good standing in the Hindi market as well. He has a fan following in the Hindi market.”

Johar added that the reviews for the film are not strong but its success will depend on audience reactions.

“Commercial films have always got mixed reviews. But it all depends on the audience. It has been amply proven in the past.”

Can Prabhas make it to the league of the Khans and Kapoors?

According to Johar, the Kapoors and the Khans have 20 years of experience in the film industry. "These actors can ensure a strong opening. In fact, Salman Khan can deliver a dud worth Rs 200 crore," he added.

“Prabhas has done a couple of films and every actor takes time to build a strong footing in the industry. You have to constantly keep hitting the nail on the head,” Johar explained further.

When it comes to male superstars from the south trying to break into Bollywood, not many have been very successful – be it Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan.

On the other hand, their female counterparts have found easier acceptance, right from Hema Malini to Sridevi to Taapsee Pannu.

Will the scenario change if Saaho emerges successful? Only time will.