Allu Arjun rocks the box-office with his fiery acting and magnetic screen-presence
By
Sharada Iyer
The box-office collections of Pushpa 2-The Rise are clocking monumental numbers! Allu Arjun’s film has caused a tsunami and his magic is spreading like wildfire across the country with the domestic collections totalling to more than rupees 500 crores in four days and the worldwide collections standing at a staggering rupees 1000 crores in just six days. Reportedly the collections for the Hindi dubbed version have already overtaken the Telugu original proving that the Hindi speaking belt is welcoming this dubbed film with open arms making Allu Arjun their favourite superstar!
I watched the first day, first show of this thoroughly entertaining masala film and was blown away by the superlative performance of Allu Arjun. He lives the character and how! The swagger, the charisma, and the physical mannerisms, the intense emotions, the mind-blowing action sequences, or the electrifying dance steps- he breathes fire into every aspect of the character and his dynamism makes the length of 3 hours and 20 minutes pass away without one boring moment.
While Pushpa-The Rise which was released in 2021 was about the rise of the underdog Pushpa Raj from a low-ranking labourer to the head of the Sandalwood smuggling conglomerate, Pushpa 2-The Rule is all about Pushpa Raj consolidating his position further in the smuggling world. This time he goes international and his adversary in the police force is Fahadh Fassil who plays Inspector Shekhawat. The first part had ended with Fahadh taking charge of Pushpa’s case.
The film mounted on a lavish budget of rupees 500 crores is a visual spectacle which needs to be watched in the cinema halls to experience the high-octane drama with its twists and turns. The cinematographer has captured every frame in an engaging way be it the thick forests where the sandalwood is aggregated or the aerial shots of the boats escaping in the ocean, the extraordinarily directed fight sequences or the nail-biting chase scenes or even the backdrop for the fast-paced song sequences- each aspect makes for a compelling watch on the big screen.
Every scene seems to have been very thoughtfully written and all the intricate details have been taken care of to engage the viewer from start to finish. The nexus between the smugglers, the police, and the politicians, is also brought out very well and the machinery seems dangerously smooth giving us a hint of today’s reality in a subtle way. The background music is brilliant and the songs are catchy.
Allu Arjun gets to portray a range of emotions and he has given it his best. His dialogues like “ Pushpa jhukega nahi” have become a rage with the masses and this time from “Pushpa flower nahi hai fire hai’ he has become ‘wildfire’ and the scale of fights and action sequences have more power, passion and ferocity. His entry scene in the film was certainly whistle-worthy and the introductory fight scene with the Japanese sets the pace giving us a glimpse of the events waiting to unfold on screen.
Being the illegitimate son of his father, the family never accepts him after his father’s death and the first film had showcased the hardships he had to endure with his mother. His underlying quest for acceptance by his family, his efforts to retain the trust of the other members of the conglomerate, his undying love for his wife, his face-offs and fights with the police headed by Shekhawat who seemed to be after him on a personal agenda- all these aspects form an important part of Pushpa 2’s narrative.
One of the highlights of the film is a scene where Allu Arjun dresses up as a woman and does a ‘tandav’ dance dedicated to the Goddess Kali during a pooja festival and the sequence gives goosebumps and is brilliantly done. Wonder if such a thing has been attempted before by any top hero in any language! In a recent interview, Allu Arjun revealed that he has given his last five years to this character and that indeed speaks of his level of professionalism and dedication towards his work. It also explains why he owns the character and makes him come alive in such a relatable way for the masses to leave a lasting impact on the viewer.
Rashmika Mandana has an important role and shines in the role of Pushpa’s wife- Srivalli. Her chemistry with Allu Arjun has a warmth and understanding and not only is she shown to support him at every step but also stands up for him when he is mocked by his stepbrother.
Casting the Malayalam film industry’s superstar Fahadh Fassil as a formidable opponent and powerful antagonist to Allu Arjun was a game-changer. The scenes and incidents leading to their one-upmanship are superbly conceptualized with intelligence and excitement. A special mention to Shreyas Talpade for being the voice of Allu Arjun in the Hindi dubbed version!
In today’s time, it is indeed a tough task to create a larger-than-life hero and make a commercially successful mass entertainer, but to maintain the same allure and momentum of the character and direct an even bigger, grander, and more powerful sequel to the phenomenal first part is something to be lauded and director Sukumar has managed to do just that.
The film steers clear of of any kind of propaganda or unnecessarily showing a certain section of the society being evil and barbaric. The concentration is on ‘paisa-vasool’ entertainment backed by a novel storyline, unusual narrative and high intensity drama and emotions to give the viewer a memorable cinematic experience.
When the film industries across the country were trying to regain their original glory post-Covid, the first part Pushpa: The Rise made record-breaking collections back then also, setting up a committed fan-base for the character. So, the sequel directed on a bigger scale doing so brilliantly should not come as a surprise. And now the second part has also ended on a cliffhanger causing a restlessness among his fans who cannot wait to watch the upcoming third part Puspa 3: The Rampage.
It is not that the film is perfect- maybe a few scenes are over the top and the length could have been edited making it tauter. But no one is complaining because the end-product is a total entertainer which has become rare in today’s cinema. For now, the masala movie lovers are engulfed in their love for Allu Arjun and his film Pushpa 2: The Rule…
[Note: All images are taken from the internet]