Fans had high expectations from South superstar Prabhas’s film ‘The Raja Saab’. It was believed that the ‘Baahubali’ star, with his horror-comedy offering, would set the box office on fire. But the film fizzled out upon its release.
Now, the film’s director, Maruthi, has broken his silence, but his approach is not going down well with people. He has blamed the film’s failure entirely on the audience’s ‘mood’. “People couldn’t understand the film because of the festival” – Maruthi’s strange argument.
During a press conference, when the film was called a ‘flop’, Maruthi became somewhat agitated. He shared a note saying that the audience watched the film in a festive (Pongal) atmosphere, and therefore, they couldn’t understand the depth of the story.
Maruthi emotionally said, “We put in three years of hard work and creativity, and people easily make fun of it. It’s sad to see this.” He went so far as to warn the trolls about ‘karma’. He said that those who make fun of others’ work will face difficulties in their own lives. This is not a threat, but a ‘rule of life’.
Is there any truth to Maruthi’s claims?
Maruthi claims that the film’s story was ‘deep’, but social media and reviews tell a different story:
Overuse of body doubles: The biggest criticism from the audience was that the use of body doubles for Prabhas was clearly visible even in normal scenes.
Weak screenplay: Contrary to the claim of a ‘deep story’, most critics described it as a ‘disjointed and childish’ script.
Release timing: Maruthi says that the festival ruined the film, while in reality, films are released during festivals (like Pongal or Diwali) precisely to take advantage of the holidays and maximize earnings.
Internet users are furious: “Stop making excuses!” Maruti’s “karma” statement has only added fuel to the fire. People are strongly criticizing him on Reddit and Twitter (X).
One user wrote: “What strange logic! First, you released the film during a festival to make more money, and now that the film flopped, you’re blaming the audience for celebrating the festival?”
Another user lashed out: “You had a huge budget and a big star like Prabhas, yet you made a terrible film. Stop blaming the audience instead of admitting your mistake.”
