‘Prabhas took Arshad Warsi's Joker comment seriously,’ say fans after watching The Raja Saab trailer 2.0

THither is a crack at the terminate of house trailer 2.0 for The rajah Saab that has taken many by surprise. The Maruthi film features lead actor Prabhas in numerous looks, including one inspired by the DC villain Joker. However, fans believe this is more than just a ‘cool look’, and it’s a reference to Arshad Warsi calling the Kalki 2898 AD star a ‘joker’ in 2024. (Also Read: The Raja Saab trailer 2.0: Prabhas fights against Sanjay Dutt's powerful hypnotist, channels Joker. Watch)Prabhas’ joker look in The Raja Saab steals attentionAt the end of the new trailer for The Raja Saab, Prabhas is seen dressed in a suit, his head bent, and holding a massive hammer in his hand. When he lifts his head, it is seen that his face is painted white with colourful markings, resembling a clown. But the specific makeup he sports seems inspired by Joaquin Phoenix’s look for the 2019 film, Joker. The shot ends with Prabhas gazing into the camera.Fans think it’s a reference to Arshad Warsi’s commentFans think this shot was intentional and was a reference to Arshad calling Prabhas a joker on a podcast in 2024. “Arshad Warsi once said that Prabhas is a joker. Now, it seems like Prabhas has taken that comment seriously,” wrote one X (formerly Twitter) user sharing the trailer. Many such similar comments also popped up on X. Another wrote, “Last time okkadu ‘Prabhas joker la unnadu’ annadu. So ee scene anduka pettaru annukuntunnanu ,emmantaru meru. (Someone said Prabhas looked like a joker. I think this scene is intentional).” An X user commented, “Arshad warsi gaadu kalki bhairava character ki Joker ani anaadu. Next cinema lo aa joker getup tho raavadam. (After Arshad called Kalki's Bhairava a Joker, he dressed as one for the next film).” Other fans also seemed to agree as one commented, “Once someone from Bollywood called him Joker ..and now he is coming to conquer his throne with Mass Reply.” Another wrote, “Nobody has the DAMN guts to wear Joker makeup, even after holding the Indian industry record for over 8 years.” An X user even joked, “We got Prabhas version of the Joker before GTA 6.” Numerous others wondered if Prabhas had dressed up like a clown on purpose for the film after Arshad had made the comment.What did Arshad Warsi say?In August, 2024, on a podcast interview with Samdish Bhatia, Arshad spoke about Kalki 2898 AD and said, “Prabhas, I am really sad, why was he… he was like a joker. Why? I want to see a Mad Max. I want to see Mel Gibson over there. Tumne usko kya bana dia yaar. Kyu karte ho aisa mujhe nahi samajh mein aata (What have you made of it? Why do they do such things I never understand)”He later clarified that he was referring to Prabhas’ character in the film, not the actor. “Everybody has their own point of view, and people like to interpret noise. I spoke about the character, not the person. He (Prabhas) is a brilliant actor, and he has proved himself again and again, and we know about it. And, when we give a bad character to a good actor, it's heartbreaking for the audience,” he told ANI.The Raja Saab will be released in theatres on January 9, 2026, for Sankranthi and also stars Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani, Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agerwal, Riddhi Kumar, and Zarina Wahab.