Pushpa 2: Is Allu Arjun the biggest pan-Indian star after

There is no question that ‘Icon Star’ Allu Arjun is the heart and soul of Pushpa 2: The Rule, especially after the Sukumar-directed Telugu film made a whopping ₹283 crore gross collection worldwide. When Pushpa: The Rise released in December, 2021, no one expected it to do as well as it did, releasing post the pandemic, and grossing a strong ₹74 crore worldwide on day one. In fact, Pushpa: The Rise went on to become the highest grossing film of 2021. With the sequel now, big box office numbers were anticipated but how high would they go was the question. And Pushpa 2 has swiftly broken box office records, including that of Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and SS Rajamouli’s RRR. (Also read: Pushpa 2 The Rule ending explained: What happens to Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil?)
Despite mixed reviews from critics and the audience, the fact remains that Pushpa 2: The Rule has everything going for it in terms of a mass commercial film. Allu Arjun’s character Pushpa Raj was iconic and the Telugu star clearly lived and breathed the role on screen. At no point did the audience see Allu Arjun but only Pushpa with his signature swagger, his bling outfits and jewellery, his dialogues and catchphrases like ‘thaggede le’ and ‘wild fire’ in the typical Chithoor slang, and the outstanding ‘Gangamma Jathara’ sequence. The songs by Devi Sri Prasad too added to the allure and energy of the film with Pushpa Pushpa, Sooseki, Peelings and Kissik, becoming instant superhits on air waves. Blending mass appeal with dynamic and sensual choreography these songs elevate the film’s larger-than-life feel and striking cinematography. And yes, the cinematography in Pushpa 2 by Miroslaw Kuba Brozek must be appreciated.
However, the film is not without its flaws –a compelling story by Sukumar was missing. The film oscillated between trying to show Pushpa Raj as an international criminal and Pushpa Raj as a loving husband and family man and lost its way in the three hours and twenty-one minutes that the audience had to sit through. The film could have done away with redundant scenes (e.g. some unnecessary fights) that didn’t add value and editing by Navin Nooli could have been sharper. Fahadh Faasil’s character Shekhawat should have been the main villain in this film and had it been a show of strength between FaFa and Pushpa, the film would have been taken up a notch. But reducing Fahadh Faasil’s character to a comical one with no other villain at play meant Pushpa wasn’t fighting to live or in mortal danger at any point. And the movie fizzled out at that point. Having said all this, Pushpa 2 is still a massy film that audiences can enjoy. So, is Allu Arjun now the biggest pan-Indian star from south cinema?
It is interesting that stars, who are considered pan-Indian and money spinners at the box office, all mostly hail from the Telugu film industry. The names synonymous with ‘pan-Indian star’ (other than Yash) are Prabhas, Ram Charan and Jr NTR, all of whom have forged a strong connect with the Hindi market through their films. Allu Arjun’s name was bandied about in that list with Pushpa but with Pushpa 2 he has cemented his place in the list proving that he is not a one-hit wonder in Hindi cinema.
Each of these Telugu actors listed is extremely charismatic and heroic on screen, pulling off superb performances that have emotional appeal to the audiences, be it Telugu or Hindi. Take for instance, the ‘Gangamma Jathara’ sequence in Pushpa 2 which is one of the never-seen-before highlights of the film. Allu Arjun dressed in an alluring blued and red saree with exotic face paint and making a ritualistic offering to Goddess Gangamma through a stunning dance performance is outstanding. It not only showcases the star’s skills as a dancer but also how much he has invested – physically and emotionally – in the character to make sure the audience is in for a treat.
Of course, during the making of Pushpa 2 there were stories doing the rounds that Allu Arjun and director Sukumar didn’t see eye-to-eye on certain aspects and so on but this is par for the course. Both Sukumar and Allu Arjun had high stakes riding on Pushpa 2 – it’s not easy to recreate a blockbuster with a sequel and only Telugu director SS Rajamouli has been successful in this aspect so far. With Pushpa 2, Allu Arjun’s market has diversified tremendously across India and globally too. In the U.S., for instance, the movie sold over 70,000 premiere tickets, earning close to US $2 million even before release. Thus, one can say that Allu Arjun is no longer just the Icon Star in Tollywood but the Icon Star globally too.