'The whole point of fantasy is to…': The Raja Saab team dismisses any similarities with Akshay Kumar's Bhool Bhulaiyaa

The Raja Saab team reacted to similarities between Bhool Bhulaiyaa and their film, expressing their wish to achieve same success as Akshay Kumar's film.

Prabhas’s much-awaited horror comedy The Raja Saab finally hit theatres today (January 9). Ever since its trailer was unveiled, the film has drawn comparisons with Akshay Kumar’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa, with several viewers pointing out similarities such as the palace setting, the presence of a ghost, and the entry of a psychiatrist. Addressing the speculation, the makers of The Raja Saab have now reacted and set the record straight. (Also Read: The Raja Saab review and release live updates: Prabhas film opens to packed houses, ends Dhurandhar's 35-day #1 run)

The Raja Saab team says there's no similarities with Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

The Raja Saab team refutes any similarities between their film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa

In an interview with Pinkvilla, the film’s producer, T. G. Vishwa Prasad, refuted any similarities between The Raja Saab and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, stating that the Prabhas-starrer is a full-fledged horror fantasy with a completely different backstory. He said, “We had to design a fantasy keeping India’s biggest star in mind. So, it is significantly different in terms of visual elements as well as the background story.”

Actor Riddhi Kumar also addressed the comparisons and said, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa is an incredible film—I love it—but it was very realistically grounded. It was set in a real palace, in a real situation, with real people. The Raja Saab has a psychological element too, but it also ventures into a fantasy world. The whole point of fantasy is to create something that has never existed.”

Nidhhi Agerwal added that she hopes The Raja Saab “creates the kind of impact that Bhool Bhulaiyaa did.”

Akshay Kumar’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa was a psychological horror comedy directed by Priyadarshan. A remake of the Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu, it also starred Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja and Ameesha Patel, along with Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi, Asrani and Vikram Gokhale. While the film received mixed reviews upon release, it emerged as a box office success and, over time, attained cult status.

About The Raja Saab

Written and directed by Maruthi, and produced by People Media Factory and IVY Entertainment, The Raja Saab stars Prabhas in the lead role alongside Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, Riddhi Kumar and Zarina Wahab in key roles. The fantasy horror comedy has hit theatres today.