"Ghante ka superstar": As the Spirit advertisement proclaims Prabhas to be India's biggest superstar, Shah Rukh Khan's admirers clash.

Fans of Shah Rukh Khan have not taken well to Prabhas's introduction as India's biggest superstar in the Spirit audio teaser announcement.

Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga treated Prabhas's fans to a unique "sound story" from their upcoming movie Spirit on Thursday, the Rebel Star's birthday. There was a lot of fan excitement because this was the first look at the highly awaited movie. However, the way Prabhas was introduced in the presentation was what many fans found most interesting during the big reveal. Rather than using Rebel Star, as his title cards had in recent years, Prabhas was proclaimed India's biggest superstar in the Spirit audio teaser.

Fans of Prabhas were obviously thrilled by this statement, but it also sparked discussion on social media, with supporters of other well-known celebrities like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh calling it insulting.

Supporters of Shah Rukh Khan respond to Prabhas' title card

One Shah Rukh Khan admirer responded to the title card that said, "India's Biggest Superstar Prabhas," on Twitter (now X). Nice attempt, but #SRK is the only Badshah who is able to control hearts from Mumbai to Morocco. Legacy is acquired through decades of charm, magic, and universal affection; it is not announced in posters. A little more bluntly, another wrote: "India's biggest superstar"? With all due respect to Prabhas. SRK is real.

A fan made fun of Prabhas by posting a meme from Shah Rukh's son Aryan Khan's online series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, saying, "Ghante ka biggest superstar." With his three successful films, Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki, Shah Rukh Khan last appeared on a big screen in 2023. Over ₹1000 crore was made by two of these. The only actor in the ₹1000 crore club with two solo hits is Shah Rukh.

Supporters of Prabhas defend the tag.

Many of the Telugu star's admirers, however, believed that the tag was appropriate. "I believe Sandeep Reddy Vanga made the right choice. In fact, Prabhas is the biggest superstar in India! One added, "I hope he has many more birthdays to come so he can be the driving force behind directors' amazing ideas." "Box office collections are proof that Vanga is right here," said another.

Prabhas' appeal throughout India

Prabhas's Baahubali franchise, directed by SS Rajamouli, catapulted him to national prominence. Together, the two films brought in over ₹2400 crore worldwide. After that, Prabhas became a pan-Indian sensation, but his subsequent films, Saaho, Radhe Shyam, and Adipurush, all struggled at the box office. But with the success of Kalki 2898 AD and Salaar, the actor has experienced a comeback in the past two years. The latter brought well around ₹1000 crore globally.

The argument that many Bollywood celebrities are "insecure" of Prabhas' widespread fame in India has been sparked by this box office performance. "A few people in Bombay may not get sleep tonight after looking at the poster," one tweet said.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the director of Prabhas' next movie Spirit, also features Vivek Oberoi and Triptii Dimri in important parts. Prabhas, however, will first appear in the fantasy horror film The RajaSaab. The film, which was directed by Maruthi, also features Nidhhi Agerwal, Malavika Mohanan, and Sanjay Dutt. The movie opens in theaters on January 9, 2026.