The Raja Saab movie review: Prabhas’ one liners, brief moments of flair cannot save this unhinged mess

Star cast: Prabhas, Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, Zarina Wahab

Raju (Prabhas), a restless, impulsive, and connected to his grandmother Gangamma (Zarina Wahab), once a powerful zamindar, now living in poverty and fading health. She’s convinced their family’s bad luck started when a sacred necklace was stolen, which pulls Raju into a family mystery tangled up with his missing grandfather, Kanakraju (Sanjay Dutt). What starts out as a search soon turns into something darker, touching on family legacy and a few supernatural twists. The Raja Saab kicks off with a mix of emotion and the supernatural that grabs your attention right away.

The setup has all the makings of a great horror comedy, but the movie can’t quite stick the landing. The Raja Saab has a vision of being the biggest horror comedy, but the final 'muddled' execution kills the fun, ending up being a strictly average film, caters to die-hard fans only. The first half builds the world well enough and gets you interested in the characters.

But after a while, the story starts to lose focus. The second half, especially, drags things out. The pacing gets sluggish, and you can feel the tension slipping away. By the time the movie ramps up for the big finish, it’s tough not to feel a little worn out—even though the stakes keep rising.