The rights to old songs are a major contributor to the increasing budget of The Raja Saab.
Entertainment: The reasons behind the escalating budget of ‘The Raja Saab’ are gradually coming to light. Initially, reports suggested that Prabhas’s decisions had significantly increased the costs of the Prabhas-Srinivas episode. Now, another major reason has emerged – the rights to the songs. Using old, iconic songs in new films has become a popular trend in Tollywood. When done well, an old song can greatly benefit a film, as seen in Gaddalakonda Ganesh (Velluvochi Godaramma), K.G.F. (Idemittamma, Maya Maya), and even Manam Shiva Shankar Varaprasad Garu (Sundari…) in three languages. However, old songs cannot be used freely; filmmakers have to purchase the rights first, which can cost several lakhs per song, and in some cases, even crores. For ‘The Raja Saab’, the team wanted a massive mass song featuring the hero with three heroines. Prabhas suggested remixing the iconic disco track “Koi Yahan… Aha… Nacho Nacho” from Disco Dancer. When he insisted, the filmmakers had no choice but to comply. According to reports, the rights to this old song cost a staggering ₹11 crore – an amount far exceeding what top music directors like Thaman receive for their compositions. While this expense could have funded several new songs, Prabhas’s fondness for the classic track left the production with no other option, further inflating the already hefty budget of ‘The Raja Saab’.
