The new teaser for The Raja Saab, featuring Prabhas, was supposed to be an exciting supernatural horror film. Instead, it turned out to be a cringe-worthy disaster full of awful special effects and awkward acting, which have really upset a lot of people, especially in the Christian community.
Right from the start, you can tell the teaser's production quality isn’t great. The VFX, which should’ve been a highlight, looks cheap and poorly done. The CGI feels rushed, with clumsy animations that totally pull you out of the moment. Instead of being scary, the visuals make you laugh for all the wrong reasons, making the film seem like a low-budget project rather than a big deal.
Prabhas, who usually shines in his roles, seems to be overdoing it in almost every scene. His exaggerated expressions turn what could be tense moments into a joke. Instead of drawing people in, his performance feels out of place for a horror film.
Things get worse with some of the religious scenes, which have sparked quite a backlash.
Niddhi Agarwal is shown in a confession booth dressed as a nun, asking ridiculous questions that come off as disrespectful. Moments later, she’s romantically involved with the lead, which trivializes a serious role. This kind of portrayal not only offends the Christian community but shows a lack of understanding and respect for different cultures.
This issue goes beyond just poor filmmaking—it’s about failing to treat the subject matter with care. The teaser’s insensitivity mixed with cheap jokes at the expense of religious beliefs only pushes viewers away instead of engaging them.
On the PR side, the film's team seems to be scrambling to cover up the backlash. Negative reviews appear to be getting taken down or replaced with overly positive ones, raising questions about honesty. Instead of facing the criticism, the makers seem more interested in managing public opinion, which only increases skepticism about the film.
Directed by Maruthi and produced by People Media Factory and IVY Entertainment, the film has a solid cast that includes Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, and Riddhi Kumar, plus music by Thaman S and cinematography by Karthik Palani—names that usually come with a promise of quality. Unfortunately, none of that shows in the teaser. There’s a striking gap between the talent involved and the poor work shown. It feels like the project is either poorly managed or the teaser was rushed out without considering what audiences expect.
With the film set to release on December 5, 2025, the team has to quickly address the issues raised by this disastrous teaser. They need to fix the shoddy visual effects, tone down the overacting, and be accountable for the offensive portrayal of religious themes.
Until then, the teaser for The Raja Saab stands as an unfortunate example of what happens when hype goes wrong—a film preview that disappointed viewers, offended a community, and showed a PR team more focused on cover-ups than taking responsibility.