Q. Why can’t Miley Cyrus afford to buy Pushpa?
A. ‘Pushpa flower(s) nahin, fire hain.’
This PJ masquerading as a riddle — something which I made up while writing this review — is perhaps as low IQ as it can get. Much like the Pushpa franchise, which thrives on being low IQ, but does one thing pretty much consistently: it serves up, in Silk-speak, what it promises — entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment.
Pushpa 2: The Rule, arriving three years after Pushpa: The Rise that became a bona fide pan-India blockbuster and laid the foundation for a big-budget franchise, packs a punch in almost all departments, even going up a notch or two from the first film.
At the centre of it all, and dominating almost every frame, is its eponymously named protagonist. Embodying main-character energy throughout the film, Allu Arjun plays Pushpa Raj, aka Pushpa, with trademark swag, his slo-mo walk being complemented by a wry, almost lazy, delivery of lines. Pushpa, a former labourer who is now kingpin of the red sandalwood smuggling syndicate, also has an aptitude for gravity-defying action, dance moves that go against all rules of plausibility and unwavering devotion to his wife Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna). In The Rise, Pushpa sang a song for Srivalli called, well, Srivalli; in The Rule, he becomes a kingmaker, toppling governments with his trademark Nike whoosh on the chin, to fulfil a trivial request on her part.
In The Rule, Pushpa, now calling the shots in the trade and always a few steps ahead of both cops and rivals, is a more assured and confident character, but director Sukumar allows the seemingly tough man to often drop his guard and shed a tear or two. That lends Pushpa a humaneness, with this side of his persona being explored more in the penultimate moments of the film.
But it is Pushpa the firebrand who (pun intended) lights up the screen and invariably brings on the cheers and ceetees. With the upgraded claim of “Fire nahin, wildfire hoon main”, Pushpa, the film and the character, up the ante, coming up with one paisa-vasool action setpiece after another to give you enough bang for your buck (minus, of course, the exorbitant popcorn cost).
Right from a thrilling entry at the Yokohama Port in Japan where he singlehandedly pummels a handful of men to pulp (but doesn’t forget to keep himself hydrated even while hanging upside down) to an edge-of-the-seat interval block in which Pushpa faces off against old nemesis Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil), Pushpa 2: The Rule ensures that there is hardly a dull moment. This is a massive achievement for a film that runs well into 200 minutes, with editor Navin Nooli cutting the film in a way that doesn’t allow the pace to slacken even for a moment.
One of the standout moments in The Rule is a protracted sequence in which Pushpa outwits Shekhawat at his own game, the true hero of the scene being cinematographer Mirosław Brozek, whose scintillating visuals of a breathless cat-and-mouse game carried out in the dead of the night, elevate the film. The piece de resistance, however, is the ‘Jathara’ sequence in which Allu Arjun, in the garb of Goddess Kali, acts with feel, dances with abandon and fights like his life depends on it. It is a sequence magnificently brought to life, with every department pitching in with their best.
There is also room for dry humour in Pushpa 2. We get to witness a masterclass from Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil in a scene in which they don’t utter a word but hurl odious threats at each other only through signs and gestures.
Those looking for something novel in Pushpa 2 will, however, be in for some disappointment. There is hardly any freshness to the story, which is a mish-mish of familiar mainstream masala movie tropes. The dialogue — like “Pushpa sahi aur galat nahin samajhta. Pushpa kuch decide karta hain toh woh sahi ho jaata hain” — is full-on massy, primarily aimed at the frontbenchers.
The choreography in certain numbers — particularly Peelings, featuring Rashmika and Allu Arjun — is pretty much cringe, but Sreeleela is a vision in the catchy Kissik. Like the first film, Devi Sri Prasad composes the music here too, but fails to come up with a single number of as much chartbuster value as Srivalli, Oo Antava or Saami Saami. What also works as a deal-breaker of sorts is that the makers of the film, originally made in Telugu, culturally bring in changes to the Hindi version — the use of terms like ‘Bhau’ and ‘Baiko’ indicates the setting is Maharashtra — but geographically, the film continues to be set in the south.
“Pushpa sabka boss!” roars the character at one point and it is well and truly Allu Arjun who makes the Pushpa 2 ride worthwhile. He is complemented perfectly by Fahadh Faasil in what is the most un-FaFa role ever, with the supremely talented actor seeming to have fun with his unhinged antagonist. Rashmika’s luminous presence adds spunk and spark to the film.
Pushpa 2 ends on a cliffhanger to challenge the mother of all cliffhangers. The good news is that Part 3 is on its way. Expect ‘rampage’!