Allu Arjun’s Expectations From Pushpa 2

While we have been  constantly bringing  voices from the film trade to comment on the colossal  boxoffice expectations  from Sukumar’s  Pushpa 2: The Rule, do we really know what the man of the match  is  going through days  and hours before the  films opens ‘whirl’-wide  on Thursday?

 This  writer asked a close friend  of Allu Arjun in Hyderabad. This is what the friend had  to say.  “You want to know how he is holding up? He seems very calm .He is trying to remain unfazed. He is spending of  lot of time with his family. And  I think he  intends to  disappear on the day of  release. But that calm exterior is only a façade. Arjun is a  nervous wreck inside. He know what he is  up against.”

What is he up against? “Himself! It is Allu Arjun Versus Allu Arjun!The impact he  created in the first Pushpa film will  now be weighed against the  impact of the second part.”

Apparently Allu Arjun told someone very close to him that the first Pushpa film was the teaser; Part  2 is the real testing ground.

Preview  audiences have been sworn to secrecy.  But someone who has seen Pushpa 2: The Rule described the experience as “mind numbing.”

“It  leaves the first part far behind. There is more of everything in the second part:  more of Allu Arjun,  much more of  Fahad Faasil who makes all the recent blockbuster screen  villains look  like  amateurs….even Rashmika Mandanna has a more  well-defined role this time.The climax  will leave the audience spellbound,” says an insider.

 All roads to movie theatres on Thursday will lead  to director  Sukumar’s larger-than-largest  epic entertainer. Pushpa 2 : The Rule is expected to have a Rs 200 crore opening on Thursday.

“And that’s a conservative estimate,” says Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty  who has worked closely on  both the first  and second parts of Pushpa. Resul assures  the audience that the second instalment of  Pushpa is far bigger than the  first. “The   first  time it just happened. I mean Pushpa: The Rise came out of the blue with zero expectations. It conquered  the boxoffice on  its own  strength. This time, the audience across India  is waiting to know which way Pushpa  will go.The end-product will shake the  boxoffice.”

Director Sukumar who is not seen  or heard as he  can only communicate in Telugu has told  a friend that no part of the film is left with loose ends, that the film in 3 hours and 15 minutes of  uninterrupted  storytelling with no  scope for halts.

 Roshan Singh, a prominent exhibitor from Bihar says he doesn’t have his fingers crossed over the  fate of Pushpa 2: The Rule. “Why should we have our fingers crossed? Suspense  is  for a product  whose launch effect is unsure.Pushpa 2 will do a minimum of  250  crores on the  first day.  It will open bigger than the other recent  blockbusters Animal and Kalki.Pushpa 2 will be the biggest success  of  Indian cinema.”

  Says Kumar Abhishek, Manager Connplex Patna, “The advance for the Hindi version is beyond anything we  expected. It is mayhem at  the  boxoffice, Sir. We haven’t seen anything  like this.Not even  for  Animal . Patrons are already  booking for a second viewing even without having seen the film once.”

 Director Sukumar’s  sequel to Pushpa  The Rise is expected  to kickstart the 700 crore  club at the  Indian boxoffice.

   Sayas  trade  guru  Taran  Adarsh : “The expectations from Pushpa 2 are humongous. And the film is sure to take an earth-shattering start in all versions. Hindi version will set new benchmarks for sure. It could be the biggest opener ever. A Box-office Tsunami is on the way.”

 Prominent  Bihar  distributor Kishan  Damani  makes a startling prediction. “I think Pushpa 2 will create new records at the box office .. should be inaugurating the 700 crore club. The craze of this movie is massive across both masses and classes.”

Producer  and trade analyst Girish Johar can’t stop celebrating. “Pushpa 2 trailer is SENSATIONAL. The makers have not only upped the scale and grandeur but they have also mounted the film extravagantly. The action is huge and the  musical glimpse seemed extraordinary .It’s  bound to be loved by the masses through out India. The film is now poised to take MASSIVE start at the Box Office. A nett all languages, ₹50crs+ start is a given, making it to the ALL TIME TOP 5 DAY 1. A non-holiday record start is now expected, hope the hype started in Patna reaches a crescendo by then.”

Trade  expert Atul  Mohan  too is gung-ho .”Pushpa was the first major commercial hit after the pandemic, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film of 2021 and securing its place among the top-grossing Telugu films of all time. Despite initially lacking multiplex support, the film rewrote box office rules and became a massive success in single-screen theaters across mass-market centers.The music was a blockbuster and Allu Arjun’s swag was unmatched. Iconic one-liners like “Jhukega nahi sala,” “Fire” and “Flower” remain widely popular. Allu Arjun’s immense fan base in the Hindi heartland, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh contributed to the film’s success.The anticipation for Pushpa 2 has now reached the same level as Baahubali 2. Exhibitors across the country are eager to screen the sequel, and the demand is unprecedented. With the trade industry pinning its hopes on this film, Pushpa 2 is expected to close 2024 with a spectacular bang.”

Concludes Akshay Rathi, “It  is anticipated  to be one  of the biggest  successes  of Indian cinema, and  not just in Telugu  or Hindi, but across languages. The kind of popularity that Allu Arjun has even in  Kerala, Tamil  Nadu, Karnataka…he is  huge everywhere. Plus Pushpa is an acknowledged franchise, And what we saw in Patna was truly  historical.I don’t think any trailer launch  ever had  such  a huge crowd turning up for a fill that doesn’t even belong to Bihar intrinsically . So I really  hope to  see history  getting created at the boxoffice with Pushpa.”