Maruthi started his career with small-budget films like Ee Rojullo and Bus Stop, both of which turned into surprise box office successes. He later delivered major hits such as Prema Katha Chitram, Bhale Bhale Magadivoy, and Mahanubhavudu.
These films built his image as a director who could generate big profits with limited budgets.
However, things changed when Maruthi started working with bigger stars. Films like Babu Bangaram with Venkatesh, Shailaja Reddy Alludu with Naga Chaitanya, and Pakka Commercial with Gopichand flopped badly. Then came the mother of all disasters, The Raja Saab.
Maruthi spent nearly four years working on the comedy-horror thriller The Raja Saab with Prabhas. The film turned out to be terrible and disappointed fans. The situation became worse after its OTT release. Viewers openly thrashed its poor VFX, visible face swaps, heavy use of body doubles, and what many called outdated comedy.
Most of the trolling targeted Maruthi’s direction. Fans questioned his decisions and even accused him of degrading a pan-India star like Prabhas into meme material.
After this setback, many assumed Maruthi will disappear from the scene for a few years, but latest reports suggest that Maruthi might collaborate with a Mega hero. However, he recently clarified that while he will announce his next project soon, he did not confirm any such casting. Despite that, industry buzz continues. Current speculation suggests he could team up with Varun Tej or Sai Durgha Tej, with Mythri Movie Makers backing the project.
Sources say Maruthi has chosen a comedy thriller again, returning to his comfort zone. The big question now is whether he can bounce back. Only time will tell.
