HORROR HYBRID
Prabhas‘ “The Raja Saab” has set its theatrical release for Dec. 5, with the teaser arriving June 16. The project marks the Indian star’s first horror entertainer, a departure from his typical action fare. Director Maruthi, known for blending humor with genre elements, helms the supernatural thriller.
People Media Factory backs the production, with T.G. Vishwa Prasad producing. Karthik Palani handles cinematography while Thaman S. composes the score.
The cast includes Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, and Ridhi Kumar alongside Prabhas. The film will release across multiple languages including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.
December has become a competitive window for Indian cinema releases, with “The Raja Saab” aiming to capitalize on the year-end theatrical market. The horror-comedy hybrid represents Prabhas’ continued genre experimentation following his pan-Indian success with the “Baahubali” franchise and recent actioners.
FIXER’S FEUD
Netflix India’s action-drama series “Rana Naidu” returns June 13 with a second season promising higher stakes and personal vendettas. The series follows Rana, a fixer for the wealthy, as he faces his most dangerous adversary yet in Rauf while protecting his family. Real-life uncle-nephew duo Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh Daggubati reprise their roles as the feuding father-son pair, with new addition Arjun Rampal bringing “baggage and brutality,” according to Netflix. “Season 2 is bigger, darker, and way more intense,” said creator-director Karan Anshuman. Producer Sunder Aaron noted the sophomore season delivers more “heart, fire, and drama” than its breakout 2023 predecessor.
SONG STORIES
India’s Yash Raj Films has released the title track for director Mohit Suri‘s romantic drama “Saiyaara.” The song features melodies Suri has “carefully collected and curated for over five years.”
The track introduces Kashmiri composers-singers Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami to Bollywood, with music by Tanishk Bagchi and lyrics by Irshad Kamil. “There is so much love, longing and heart in this song that I fell in love with it instantly,” Suri says of what he calls “an extremely fresh romantic album.”
The film stars debutant Ahaan Panday, and Aneet Padda, with YRF’s Akshaye Widhani producing. “Saiyaara” releases July 18 worldwide.
