Saaho vs Radhe Shyam, Adipurush, Salaar Box Office: Analysing Prabhas' films after historic Baahubali duology

Baahubali and Baahubali 2 catapulted Prabhas to superstardom. Here's analysing the actor's career after he became a pan-Indian star.

Updated on May 06, 2024  |  08:24 PM IST |  444K
Prabhas
Saaho vs Radhe Shyam vs Adipurush vs Salaar (Credit: T-Series, UV Creations, Hombale Films)
Key Highlight
  • The box office performance of Prabhas films after Baahubali 2 is a hit and miss
  • Prabhas continues to be a big initial draw at the box office, despite mixed reviews of recent films

Baahubali 1: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, catapulted Prabhas to superstardom, and made him a household name. The Telugu star hero became a Pan-Indian icon and from there, there has been no looking back for him. 

Since the 2 Baahubali films, Prabhas has spearheaded 4 massive films namely Saaho, Radhe Shyam, Adipurush and Salaar. The reception of the four films has not entirely been great but the excellent starts that the films have got, has made him an enviable box office force that every filmmaker wishes to collaborate with.


Prabhas' Pan India Journey Started With Baahubali Duology

The Pan India journey of Prabhas started with the two Baahubali films, that cumulatively grossed over Rs 2300 crores worldwide. Baahubali 2 (Rs 1747 crores) infact went on to become the highest grossing Indian film worldwide, before being surpassed by Dangal, courtesy its China breakout.

Saaho, Despite Negative Reception, Flaunted Prabhas' Star Power

Saaho got the first mover advantage of Prabhas' films after Baahubali 2. The ambitious sci-fi actioner, at the time of its release, was the most expensive Indian film. The film took a bumper start globally as it amassed a gross worldwide total of Rs 116 crores including premieres. It was the second highest day one for an Indian film then, only behind the actor's own Baahubali 2. 

The reviews for the film were negative and that took a toll on the film's lifetime collections. The biggie ended up grossing just over Rs 400 crores worldwide, lower than even the first Baahubali film, despite a much bigger start. The best performance for the movie came in its Hindi version, where it netted around Rs 150 crores, accounting for more than 50 percent of the film's India nett business.

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Radhe Shyam Was Received Disastrously

After Saaho, Prabhas did not have a theatrical release for close to three years. The Covid-19 changed the box office dynamics entirely. The viewers, particularly for the Hindi version, became very picky about the films to watch in theatres. Radhe Shyam, a big budget romantic-drama was the actor's immediate next after Saaho.

While the film took an excellent start in the home market, it started disastrously in Hindi, as it netted around Rs 4 crores on the opening day. The reviews, very much like Saaho, were negative and the movie ended up grossing under Rs 140 crores worldwide. The film incurred a loss for the producers despite very lucrative non-theatrical deals.

Adipurush Rubbed Salt To The Wounds Of Radhe Shyam

After the debacle of Radhe Shyam, Prabhas' next film Adipurush released a year later. Directed by Om Raut, the film based on Ramayana became one of the most anticipated Indian films of all time. With an announced budget of Rs 500 crores, the expectations from the movie were sky high. The film, instead of ending the drought for Prabhas, became the most forgettable movie of his career.

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Adipurush was mercilessly trolled and panned by critics and general audiences. It grossed under Rs 350 crores, despite external aid. It was seen as a lost opportunity because even a decent Ramayana based film has the power to shatter records.

Prabhas Made A Comeback With Salaar

Later in Christmas 2023, Prabhas made a reasonably good comeback with Salaar. The Prashanth Neel directorial grossed around Rs 617 crores in a big clash, with aid. It became the second highest grossing Prabhas film after Baahubali 2 and gave the actor the much needed momentum that he required. With Salaar, Prabhas delivered his third true Rs 100 crore plus day one gross worldwide opener.

Salaar's sequel is in the pre-production stage and is targetting a late 2025 release.


Prabhas' Upcoming Movies

Prabhas has an incredible line-up of movies ahead. Kalki 2898 AD releases in June, 2024. It will be followed by Raja Saab, Salaar 2 and Spirit. The four films are optimistically expected to gross over Rs 2000 crores in between them.
All in all, there is a lot riding on the phenomenon called Prabhas.

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Which is your most anticipated Prabhas film?

ALSO READ: Did Rana Daggubati just compare Prabhas starrer Kalki 2898 AD with Avengers? Find out

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A journalist who is perennially hungry for entertainment. Loves tracking and analyzing box office collections of movies. Also enjoys

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