There's no denying the fact that Saaho was one of the biggest movies of 2019. The actioner, featuring Prabhas in the lead, emerged as a runaway hit in the Hindi belt and served as strong proof of the mass hero's unparalleled star power. On Sunday, as the action-thriller completes one year, here is a look at why the movie is a memorable one for 'Darlings'.
A grand debut: Prabhas impressed fans with his stellar performances in Baahubali and Baahubali 2, adding a new dimension to his career. The films, which were dubbed in Hindi, emerged as blockbusters in up north and broke the language barrier. It was, however, the Hindi-Telugu bilingual Saaho that marked Prabhas' actual Bollywood debut and proved to be a grand launch vehicle for the action hero. It featured plenty of stylish action sequences that satisfied 'die-hard fans'.
Saaho bucked the trend: SS Rajamouli is considered to be a star director who is capable of helping scale new heights. Actors, however, struggle to meet expectations once the 'Jakkanna' magic fades. Ram Charan, who teamed up with SSR for the moneyspinner Magadheera, failed to keep the momentum going as his next release Orange did not make much of an impact at the box office.
Similarly, Khatarnak -- which was Ravi Teja's first release after the mass hit Vikramarkudu -- bombed at the box office. Many were expecting Saaho to struggle at the box office for the same reason. While the film under-performed in the Telugu states, its phenomenal performance in Hindi helped Prabhas partially buck the trend.
Also read: ‘Prabhas 21’: Prabhas to play a double role in the biggie?
Rise of a 'critic-proof' star: Saaho emerged as a legit hit despite receiving largely negative reviews, proving that Prabhas is a 'critic-proof' star. Many in the industry drew parallels between the Billa actor and Bollywood A-lister Salman Khan, highlighting the fact that Bhai's Race 3 too had made a good impact at the ticket window despite being panned by one and all.
Saaho helped Prabhas break barriers: Actor Kamal Haasan made quite an impact in the Hindi belt when the K Balachander-directed Ek Duuje Ke Liye emerged as a smash hit and attained cult status. Most of his subsequent solo releases, however, did not do too well at the box office. Similarly, Rajinikanth mainly did two-hero films after making his presence felt with Andha Kanoon.
Mollywood hero Mohanlal too failed to emerge as a bankable star in Hindi despite beginning his Bollywood career with the cult film Company. Similarly, Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, Sudeep and Vishnuvardhan could not really find a market in Hindi. With Saaho, Prabhas delivered three consecutive hits in the Hindi belt, accomplishing something that even bonafide legends failed to do.