Brand Pushpa rules, not the sequel

It opens on a Japanese port with a clever twist to the famous song ‘Mera joota hai Japani’, giving a miss to the second line that talks of the country, now an aggressor. But the aggression in the film is a given. What follows is a high-on-adrenaline action sequence almost like a climactic scene. So, where can Pushpa go from such a strong build-up? Well, back to where it began, right to Pushpa’s childhood and the indignities he suffered due to his illegitimate bearings.

When ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ came in 2021, it was one of the few films to bridge the North-South audience gap, a film rooted in its soil but one that appealed to pan-Indian sensibilities. Truly a beast of its own kind, in no time it became a blockbuster. Three years later, it can only grow bigger in scale and execution. But, is bigger better? Well, depends on whether you believe in the brand power of Pushpa, aka Allu Arjun. Time and again, we are reminded how Pushpa is a brand, with one of the film’s many whistle-worthy dialogues like ‘Pushpa sirf ek naam nahi, Pushpa matlab brand’.

An iconic star is how the Telugu superstar Allu is introduced in the casting, and he retains his swag. Attired in gaudy shirts befitting his screen character of a sandalwood smuggler, his charisma is unmistakable. And the trademark gesture, the way he runs his hand over his chin, which had the world in a thrall, is still endearing. Any wonder he calls himself an international khiladi. In fact, a large part of the lavish film is an ode/indulgence to his superstardom. It encashes upon it and adds to it. Director Sukumar pulls out all the stops to create his larger-than-life persona. Scenes are mounted to project him as invincible and indestructible. Even when his hands and legs are tied, he is an unstoppable force.

Logic, by now we know, has no place in a mass entertainer. And Allu Arjun has a critical mass of his own that defies the known laws of gravity or rationale. Here he is elevated to a demi-god status, which is anyway reflected in his cult following. In the film, aided by composer Devi Sri Prasad’s music and cinematographer Miroslaw Kuba Brozek’s splendid camerawork, the National Award-winning actor oozes energy in every frame, especially in the scintillating ‘Gangamma Jatara’. He dons a sari and makeup, as is done by men during this festival of Tirupati. A frenzied dance ensues and he makes a wish: to be blessed with a daughter. But the wish has little bearing on the film’s hyper-masculine template. Token gender sensitivity evident in lines like ‘Meri bayko ne jo bola mai wo karunga’ (I will do whatever my wife tells me) is countered by the usual trope of violence in the name of saving a damsel in distress.

One could argue that the story of rise of a coolie to the head of a syndicate (refer to part one) is bound to be more interesting than one of how the kingpin rules over his empire. Yet, ‘Pushpa 2’ is entertaining, frustrating, thrilling and predictable in equal measure. When his wife Srivalli (the lovely and deft Rashmika Mandanna has a scene or two) demands he take a photo with the Chief Minister, you know a showdown with the CM is imminent. But more interesting are his face-offs with police officer Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat.

Fahadh Faasil’s Shekhawat has neither forgotten nor forgiven the insults heaped on him in the prequel. Even though Faasil as Shekhawat never gets the better of his adversary, he is superlative. Watch the glee of victory writ on Faasil’s face where he records and plays Pushpa’s ‘sorry’ on a loop, or when he concedes defeat to Pushpa’s ingenious ways of smuggling sandalwood out of the state.

Of course, to sustain the momentum of three hours, 20 minutes, we need some romantic feelings, some emotive moments and a customary item number. Sreeleela grooves to ‘Kissik’, but is not a patch on Samantha’s ‘Oo Antava’. And then there is a peppering of a couple of more enemies apart from the existing ones like former syndicate head Mangalam Srinu (Sunil) and his wife Dakshayani (the combative Anasuya Bharadwaj). Thus emerges a sexual harasser, Buggi Reddy (Tarak Ponnappa), who is befittingly taught a lesson but has the gall to avenge himself.

Law and order clearly has no place in the world where Pushpa rules. As if the carnage in the climax is not enough, there is a promise of more rampage in the third outing, which is called ‘Pushpa: The Rampage’. How much more star power can Allu unleash… for now, you can ride on it. Provided you have full faith in his brand quotient.