Quiz Master Phanindra Ivatury, now residing in Utrecht, the Netherlands, delves into the phenomenon of the Indian film, ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’. This global box office sensation has not only raked in millions but also showcased Indian cinema’s universal appeal and cultural resonance.
UTRECHT, Jan 12 (Bernama) — It’s the fastest Indian film to cross the five hundred, thousand and fifteen hundred crore milestones at the global box office. Ever since its worldwide release on Dec 5, 2024, Pushpa 2: The Rule has set cash registers ringing loud and clear both across India and overseas markets breaching multi-crore money barriers with effortless ease.
Most Anticipated Indian Movie of 2024
As per IMDb, Pushpa 2: The Rule topped its list as the “most anticipated Indian film of 2024”. Much credit for the above accolade belongs to the film’s 2021 prequel Pushpa: The Rise which was originally meant for the Telugu audiences starring their “Icon Star” Allu Arjun in the titular character.
The makers of the prequel decided to take the movie across the country through dubbed versions upon the persistence of internationally acclaimed Indian film director S.S. Rajamouli. It turned out to be a masterstroke as Pushpa: The Rise became one of the most loved pan-Indian films in recent times.
The ‘Rags-to-Riches’ Story of a Red Sanders Smuggler
With such an explosive story theme, it is astounding to note that both the Pushpa films became family entertainers across India. When the protagonist of a populist film represents the core common man fighting the deep rooted hierarchy of an oppressive system with such vein popping aggression, the audience tends to overlook the fact that their hero wants to pay back in the same coin. A section of the audience (or critics) may not find it easy to wrap their heads around this sort of cinematic formula but the section which ensures blockbuster successes do. The masses.
It’s similar to how some of Amitabh Bachchan’s rebel-against-flawed-system kind of “angry young man” characters from 1970s-80s Hindi films resonated with the masses minting mega monies en route, also earning the star an ultimate tag of being referred to as “One Man Industry”.
Amitabh’s protagonist in films like Deewaar (1975) and Trishul (1978) fights the system tooth and nail, even if it entailed stepping on the other side of the law. Akin to Amitabh’s above mentioned roles, the character sketch that enabled Allu Arjun’s national award winning portrayal of Pushpa is built on a similar lead.
‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ – A Sequel That Lives Up to its Billing
With millions and mega expectations riding on it, the makers left no stone unturned in shaping the sequel into a behemoth like biggie. With its elaborate star cast, the film’s director ran a tight ship handling an edge-of-the-seat narrative, extravagant sets, high octane action sequences, dazzling camera work and thunderous music/background score. In simple words, Pushpa 2: The Rule just doesn’t take its step off the pedal all through the marathon three hour plus run time.
The Supreme Aura of Allu Arjun
Allu Arjun is one among those fewest of few top-league Indian actors who are globally popular. Adding such a reverberating touch to a character who always takes pride in being able to beat the odds, Arjun’s portrayal of Pushpa is flawless even through a magnifying glass.
With all due respects to the other brilliant actors who are a part of the franchise, it’s doubly hard to shift your focus away from Arjun, especially in frames calling his presence. One must-mention example is what Arjun unleashes in the Jathara episode from the sequel spanning more than twenty minutes of the run time, a sequence that spins the spell bound audience wondering “what just happened?”
Noteworthy is the actor’s bold approach to this scene, willing to tread an unconventional path of dressing up like a woman with full-fledged makeup and hold fort for that long a screen time with mercurial body movements while performing to a song and later, a stunt. Both acts set on an insane bar of cinematic standard. It was a scenario where even a tiny bit of it goes minutely wrong, the whole thing falls flat on the star inviting loads of flak. What you ultimately get to see defines one of those glorious cinematic moments in Indian film history.
In Popular Culture: Pushpa Grows From ‘Fire’ to ‘Wild Fire’
The word “Pushpa” when alienated from being a noun means “flower” in English. While tackling the baddies in the first part, the hero proclaims to them, “Did you imagine Pushpa to be a flower?, It’s fire”. The Delhi Development Corporation (DDA), India came up with a witty spin of the “Flower-Fire” dialogue from the movie to promote its flats.
The character in part two steps a bit further and proclaims to the baddies “Pushpa is not just fire but wild fire”.
Another often repeated shooter from the movie Taggede Le (meaning “I won’t back down” in English and “Jhukega Nahin” in Hindi) has now become a part of India’s filmy vernacular.
In recent times, Indian cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy’s “Taggede Le” celebration in Australia upon reaching his debut 50 in a test match against the home team had the sporting world talking about “Pushpa” love.
A Horrific Incident and Beyond
A day before the sequel’s release, a benefit show was held at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, India, which is Allu Arjun’s hometown. A horrific incident occurred at the theatre when fan frenzy to catch a glimpse of Arjun visiting the theatre (to gauge fan reaction to his movie) resulted in a stampede that led to the unfortunate death of a female fan, also leaving her young son critically injured. The actor was held responsible, arrested and released on bail, a day later upon court orders. The actor and makers of the film regretted the incident and pledged support of every kind to the victim’s family.
Despite the news making constant national headlines, Indian moviegoers and their love for the Pushpa franchise was undeterred as the sequel brought the country’s all-time movie records tumbling down one after another with each passing day since its release. It would take another dedicated article space to list out all the box-office records Pushpa 2: The Rule continues to break.
Just over a month since its release, Pushpa 2: The Rule is already the highest grossing film ever in India with its hefty satellite rights still to be sold.
‘Rampage’ to Continue
The sequel ends with a cliffhanger leaving scope for the third instalment titled Pushpa 3: The Rampage. The larger-than-life Pushpa is fast becoming India’s very own fictional superhero, their own cinematic “marvel” and the star who brought him to life continues to raise his acting ceiling that is already sky high.
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