With its theatrical release scheduled for January 9 to coincide with Sankranti, The Raja Saab has begun drawing attention in overseas markets despite advance bookings not yet opening in India. Industry trackers indicate that the horror-comedy is witnessing robust demand in the United States, signalling a potentially strong opening abroad.

According to box office tracker Venky Box Office, The Raja Saab has collected USD 715,038 (approximately Rs 6.42 crore) from advance ticket sales in the US, with 25,869 tickets sold across 1,406 shows in 513 locations. Across North America, the film’s advance booking total has crossed USD 750,000 (around Rs 6.74 crore) as of January 7.

However, the Prabhas-starrer remains well behind Jana Nayagan, directed by H Vinoth and headlined by Vijay, in the overseas race. As per industry tracker Sacnilk, Jana Nayagan has amassed around USD 3.90 million (roughly Rs 35 crore) in overseas advance bookings, while The Raja Saab stands at approximately USD 1.22 million (about Rs 11 crore). The figures underline the significant gap between the two films in international pre-release traction.

Mounted on a reported budget of around Rs 300 crore, The Raja Saab is expected to require a worldwide gross exceeding Rs 400 crore to be considered a commercial success, with nearly Rs 300 crore anticipated from the Telugu market alone. Trade observers note that the film’s final box office outcome will also depend heavily on its reception in the Hindi belt.

Ahead of release, the Andhra Pradesh government has permitted special premiere shows and temporary ticket price hikes for the film. A special show has been allowed on January 9 between 6 pm and midnight with tickets priced at Rs 1,000 including GST. For the first 10 days of release, ticket prices have been increased by Rs 150 in single-screen theatres and Rs 200 in multiplexes, resulting in rates of Rs 297 and Rs 377 respectively.

The Raja Saab has received a UA 16+ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, with a runtime of 189 minutes. Directed by Maruthi and produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under People Media Factory, the film stars Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar and Zarina Wahab alongside Prabhas. It will release in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.

While overseas numbers point to a promising start, industry watchers say the film’s long-term performance will hinge on word of mouth and its ability to narrow the gap with Jana Nayagan in the crucial opening weekend.