MSG Director Anil Ravipudi Takes Indirect Dig At Prabhas' The Raja Saab Debacle, Says 'Pan-India Stars Should Return To Doing Smaller Films’

Prabhas' The Raja Saab turned out to be 2026's biggest disappointment at the box office despite the Pan-India release. Mounted on a reported budget of ₹450 crore, the film earned only ₹143 crore in 15 days. Whereas, Chiranjeevi starrer Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, released in only the Telugu language, emerged as the lone Sankranti successful film. The film, made on a budget of ₹200 crore, has grossed ₹257 crore worldwide with ₹215.75 crore earned in India. Basking in the success of the film, the director Anil Ravipudi opined on the gap between the two movies and pointed out how the celebs are chasing pan-India status.

Anil Ravipudi requests Pan-India stars to do smaller films

In an interview with Great Andhra, the director pointed out how the pan-India market has widened with budgets going up to ₹1000-2000 crore. "Heroes now have global exposure, and that creates a dilemma when it comes to doing smaller films after appearing in a large pan-India project," was quoted as saying. He added that with a spike in budget, the standards rise, and so does the mindset of people.  "People start questioning whether a hero who has worked at that scale will return to making smaller regional films. That uncertainty becomes a problem for everyone involved," he continued.

He emphasised that with everyone pursuing Pan-India status, the balance in the film industry has been upset, and to remedy this, stars will need to start featuring in regional films. “If these stars take the risk of returning to smaller films and strike a balance by doing both pan-India and regional cinema, the bubble around pan-India status will burst. The question is, who will burst it first?” he said.

The director further highlighted how the single-screen theatres are bearing the brunt of the Pan-India release. He said that the top actors are releasing their films in January, followed by a dry spell of nearly six months. This has forced the single-screen theatre to shut down. "If stars start signing both kinds of films, one pan-India and one regional film every year, the ecosystem will stabilise. The regional market has immense stamina," suggested.

Anil Ravipudi is known for giving hit films to the Telugu film industry, including F2: Fun and Frustration, F3 and Sankranthiki Vasthunam.

Also Read: The Raja Saab Producer Threatens Legal Action, Files Complaint Over ‘Derogatory Remarks’ On The Prabhas Starrer