Salaar is Prabhas' last ticket to retaining superstardom: Trade experts on why this is a 'do-or-die film' for Rebel Star

Baahubali was probably the last era-defining Indian film. It hasn’t been that long since its release but it does feel that the SS Rajamouli film transformed the way films are made and marketed across India. Prabhas was one of the faces of the film and its success transformed him into a national superstar. He went from being a Telugu A-lister to a pan-India star in the space of two years. But the Baahubali push has not worked for the star since then. In the six years since, Prabhas has fronted three huge films, none of which did as well as they should have. His detractors have dubbed him ‘lottery star’ but his fans mantain that the Rebel Star is just one hit away from regaining his lost form. And Salaar just may be that film – his make-or-break moment.

Why is Salaar important for Prabhas?

Prabhas has been seen in three films since the release of Baahubali 2 in 2017. The first was Saaho, billed as a pan-India action thriller. Made on a budget of Rs 350 crore, the film managed to earn just above Rs 400 crore. It was a hit only in Telugu but the pan-India tag could not be justified by its dismal performance in the other languages. Then came Radhe Shyam in 2022. Mounted on a similar budget as Saaho, this epic drama tanked at the box office, struggling to even break the Rs 200-crore mark. And then, Prabhas completed his trilogy of disappointments with Adipurush. The costliest Indian film ever made, it was a disaster both critically and commercially.

These films have hurt Prabhas’ credibility but seemingly, his stardom remains. The bumper openings all these films have gotten is testament to it, as is the breakneck pace at which Salaar’s advance booking is continuing. But Salaar needs to land because a fourth successive flop – and this time with a proven director like Prashanth Neel – could really dent Prabhas’ stardom too. Film trade analyst Atul Mohan argues, “This is a do-or-die film for Prabhas. It needs to be a clear hit otherwise it seriously hampers the prospects of future films of the actor. The benchmarks that have been set by RRR, KGF, and Baahubali need to be met here. Of course, with the clash, that may not be possible but still Salaar needs to do to the best of its abilities. Only then can it be called a big hit for Prabhas.”

But does Salaar have the steam to turn things around for Salaar?

Salaar sees the combination of Prabhas’ stardom with Prashanth Neel’s grand style of storyetlling that has found favour with the audience earlier. Film trade analyst Ramesh Bala calls the film ‘Prabhas’ last ticket to retaining his stardom’ and argues, “Because of the combination of Prabhas and Prasanth Neel, this film has a chance to attract big opening. But this has to be a clean blockbuster, across north, south, east, and west. If it was any other genre, I would have doubted the chance but Salaar is Prabhas’ best chance to bounce back. And he can do that.”

Salaar does have all the right ingredients. It has a Telugu superstar with a hit Kannada filmmaker, as well as a Malayalam star. That’s three markets where the film is the biggest title of the month, if not the year. And the film’s scale – and success of Prashanth Neel’s KGF – make it an exciting prospect in the north and Tamil Nadu as well. As an exhibitor puts it, “If it is at least a three-star film as they call it, there is no stopping Salaar. The buzz for it in the north is better than Prabhas’ previous films.”

The Dunki-sized thorn in Salaar’s side

The only obstacle in Salaar’s path – apart from itself – is Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki, which is releasing on the same weekend. Trade pundits are certain that both films will affect each other’s business, at least over the first weekend. Beyond that, however, it all depends on the individual film’s capability to spread via word of mouth. And at that point, it all comes down to the film’s ability to click with the audience. If Salaar succeeds there, it can even overcome an SRK-sized obstacle on the road to success.