'Ghante ka superstar': Shah Rukh Khan and Prabhas fans lock horns as Spirit promo declares him India's biggest superstar

The Spirit audio teaser announcement introduced Prabhas as India's biggest superstar, something that has not gone down too well with fans of Shah Rukh Khan.

On Prabhas’ birthday on Thursday, filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga gave a special treat to the Rebel Star’s fans, as he unveiled a special ‘sound story’ from their upcoming film Spirit. Given this was the first glimpse from the heavily anticipated film, the fan excitement was high. But amid the big reveal, what caught the attention of many fans was how Prabhas was introduced in the announcement. Instead of using Rebel Star as his title cards in recent years have, Spirit audio teaser declared Prabhas India’s biggest superstar.

Prabhas and Shah Rukh Khan are among the biggest box office draws in Indian cinema today.

This declaration clearly made Prabhas fans very happy, but ignited debate on social media, with fans of other big stars like Shah Rukh and Salman Khan calling it disrespectful.

Shah Rukh Khan fans react to Prabhas title card

Reacting to the title card that read ‘India’s biggest superstar Prabhas’, one Shah Rukh Khan fan wrote on Twitter (now X), “India’s Biggest Superstar? Nice try but there’s only one Badshah who rules hearts from Mumbai to Morocco — #SRK. Legacy isn’t declared in posters, it’s earned over decades of magic, charm, and global love.” Another wrote a little more succinctly: “No disrespect to Prabhas, but “India’s biggest superstar”? SRK literally exists.”

One fan shared a meme from Shah Rukh’s son Aryan Khan’s web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood, throwing shade at Prabhas with the line: ‘Ghante ka biggest superstar’. Shah Rukh Khan was last seen on the big screen in 2023 with three hits in Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki. Two of these grossed over ₹1000 crore. Shah Rukh is the only actor with two solo hits in the ₹1000 crore club.

Prabhas fans justify the tag

However, many fans of the Telugu star felt that the tag was justified. “I think Sandeep Reddy Vanga got it right. Prabhas is indeed India's Biggest Superstar! Wishing him many more birthdays ahead for him to be the wind under the wings of directors to bring their extraordinary visions to life,” wrote one. Another argued, “Box office collections are proof that Vanga is right here.”

Prabhas' pan-India appeal

Prabhas shot to nationwide fame with SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali franchise. The two films grossed over ₹2400 crore worldwide collectively. While he established himself as a pan-India star after that, Prabhas’ next few films did not work at the box office, with Saaho, Radhe Shyam, and Adipurush all flopping. However, over the last two years, the actor has seen a resurgence with the success of Salaar and Kalki 2898 AD. The latter grossed over ₹1000 crore worldwide.

This box office run has given rise to the debate that many Bollywood stars are ‘insecure’ of Prabhas’ pan-India popularity. One tweet read; “A few people in Bombay may not get sleep tonight after looking at the poster.”

Prabhas' upcoming films

Spirit, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, also stars Vivek Oberoi and Triptii Dimri in pivotal roles. But before that, Prabhas will be seen in the fantasy horror The RajaSaab. Directed by Maruthi, the film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Malavika Mohanan, and Nidhhi Agerwal. It releases in theatres on 9 January, 2026.