Prabhas-led Raja Saab - India's biggest horror-comedy set brings a haunted 200-year-old palace to life.
Located just a few kilometres from Hyderabad, this massive mansion spans over 42,000 square feet and is entirely hand-built, not VFX-created. The palace plays a crucial role in the film, adding a unique visual appeal that director Maruthi describes as "a character in itself."
Built at a massive cost over two months, this grand set has stood for more than a year - and will remain for a few more months as filming continues.
"It's a Prabhas film. Everything had to be larger than life, just like the actor. That's what the audience expects, and that's what we've created," Maruthi told exclusively to NDTV.
The palace is no ordinary film set. It features rooms that look straight out of a gothic novel - a black magic room with real fire burning (managed under strict safety protocols), a torture chamber, a sprawling library, eerie corridors lined with hanging roots, and bedrooms that could belong to a forgotten royal. Every detail, from handmade pillars to realistic trees and roots, was designed to make you feel like you're inside an actual haunted palace.
The production design team revealed that the inspiration came from years of reading, travelling, and sketching.
"Old houses we've seen while traveling, books we've read - all of that shaped this palace. It's a huge team effort. I get the credit, but over 1,000 people worked on this, and countless drafts and sketches were made before we arrived at the final design," the team head shared.
Raja Saab, starring Prabhas and directed by Maruthi, hits cinemas on December 5, 2025.
