The Raja Saab, starring Prabhas, is gearing up for a grand Sankranthi release on January 9.
At the pre-release event in Hyderabad, director Maruthi broke down on stage while addressing the crowd. In front of thousands of fans and the film’s team, his emotions reflected the long and challenging journey behind the project.
The film took nearly three years to complete, and it marked Maruthi’s first collaboration with a star of Prabhas’ stature.
As the scale grew, so did the pressure and the budget. Through delays, expectations, and mounting responsibility, Maruthi stayed committed. Producer Vishnu Prasad backed the film fully, ensuring there were no compromises. Reaching the release stage after such a long stretch clearly overwhelmed the director, leading to his emotional moment on stage.
However, one part of Maruthi’s speech sparked controversy among Prabhas fans. While talking about Telugu cinema’s global reach, he recalled an incident from South Africa. He said that when he mentioned Prabhas in a remote village, people instantly recognized him as the Baahubali hero. He used this to highlight Prabhas’s worldwide fame.
Maruthi then praised SS Rajamouli, crediting him for taking Telugu cinema to the global stage with Baahubali. He said Rajamouli risked everything to present what he described as a medium range hero before Baahubali as a pan India star.
The controversy arose from Maruthi using the term medium range hero while referring to Prabhas’ pre Baahubali phase. He also reminded people that Prabhas is still known as the hero of Baahubali and not by his name.
A section of fans felt his phrasing was disrespectful and reacted strongly online. Others defended Maruthi, arguing that he was stating facts and that Prabhas did not have Rs. 100 crore grossers before Baahubali. They felt the comment was meant to underline how dramatically Rajamouli changed Prabhas’s stature.
In the end, the debate only reinforced one truth. Baahubali completely transformed Prabhas’s career and global standing, turning him into one of Indian cinema’s biggest stars.
