08 January,2026 11:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Priyanka Sharma
Prabhas with director Maruthi
A few months ago when Sandeep Reddy Vanga officially announced his upcoming actioner Spirit, he did something that caused internet fan wars. If on the poster of his last release, Animal, he got âSuperstar' written for Ranbir Kapoor, the assets of Spirit mention its leading man Prabhas as India's biggest superstar.
Fans of other actors, across languages, might have different opinions, but does director Maruthi, who has helmed Prabhas' The RajaSaab, agree with Vanga's statement, we asked him as he promoted the film in Hyderabad.
Maruthi, himself, has worked with several South stars, including Nani and Venkatesh, didn't say a direct yes or now and declared Prabhas as a "pan world star".
"I feel he is a global star, not just pan-India. People across the world are watching him. In Japan, for instance, he is loved a lot. His heart is such that he (attracts love)," Maruthi said.
The RajaSaab releases on January 9, and naturally, Maruthi is feeling the nerves. But he admitted that the pressure on him is not only courtesy film, but also because it's lee by a superstar.
"Of course that pressure will be there. I can't say there's no pressure at all. But I saw the film and I liked it very much. When you watch the film, you will also see how it's a different world that we have built in this film." Maruthi's confidence is shared by his producer TG Vishwa Prasad, who even has a prediction for the opening day of the fantasy horror comedy.
"In my opinion, it will definitely be more than Rs 100 crore day one," he smiled. Prasad shared that while right now, The RajaSaab is being released across languages in the country, he intends to bring the film also to Japan, home to many fans of Prabhas. "We will release a dubbed version in Japan after a few months."
Besides Prabhas, the film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Malvika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal and Riddhi Kumar.
