Movie Ŕeview: Pushpa 2 The Rule
Pushpa 2 The Rule was a most awaited sequel which has hit theatres worldwide on 5th December, in several languages apart from the original Telugu.
The film kicks off with Srivalli ( Rashmika Mandanna) and Pushpa Raj ( Allu Arjun) now enjoying marital bliss and Pushpa Raj becoming the most powerful person in his region, thanks to his growing clout in the red sanders trade.
But arch enemy cop Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat ( Fahad Faasil) is hot on his trail and is bent on catching him red handed.
In the midst of all this, an incident with the CM hurts Pushpa deeply and puts him on the road to revenge. He decides to replace the CM with an MP ( Rao Ramesh) and decides to fund the entire expensive transition. In the process he makes more enemies.
But Pushpa Raj seems unstoppable in his dream of becoming an international player.
How does he keep his enemies at bay? Does he get what he wants? What happens to Shekhawat?
Pushpa 2 is peak commercial cinema, enriched by ace director Sukumar Bandreddi's writing and screenplay and the top notch performances of Allu Arjun and Rashmika. The leads make a perfect pair and their chemistry, with innocent humor, mutual respect and love at its core makes for delightful viewing all through the film. There are plenty of incidents between the duo that are not only emotional but also entertaining.
Sukumar's fantastic writing with great attention to detail despite the larger than life characters and so much going on on screen, is what elevates the film further. Witty references to past events, fleshing out of every main character, and even supporting characters, the high emotional quotient (even at the heart of huge action blocks) connect the viewer to the characters to stay invested in their fate on screen.
The film is dotted with engaging moments of humor, suspense, thrill and emotion all through. Be it the scenes like Pushpa's "Sorry" asking scene, the police station scene, the lorry chase on the river bed, the face -off with Shekhawat, or the mesmerising Jathra scene, the film takes the viewer in a high each time. Another outstanding moment is the dance between Rashmika and Allu Arjun together in the Jathra scene.
Allu Arjun hits the ball out of the park with Pushpa 2 delivering yet another National Award winning performance. His expressions, body language, dialogues and charismatic screen presence are powerful, yet display his underlying, vulnerable emotional core at places. In the Jathra portions he has outdone himself with a spelll binding dance and subsequent rivetting action block.
Rashmika proves her mettle with scenes like the lengthy Jathra monologue and her dynamics with Pushpa Raj all through showcase her acting chops, in a well fleshed out character.
The eccentric and obsessed with Pushpa Raj demeanour of Fahad Faasil character, makes him a powerful adversary and there are several outstandingly engaging scenes with Allu Arjun that are a treat to watch.
The supporting cast of Rao Ramesh, Sunil, Anasuya and Jagapathy Babu deliver superb performances that enhance the film's appeal.
Apart from the thrilling action sequences, are the 2 songs , Peelings and Kissik, which are grand in scale and have a connect to the story.
On the technical front, DSP's music and Sam CS' additional bgm elevate the film while the spectacular visuals by cameraman Miroslaw Kuba Broźek are a highlight of the film, with their rich color palette and subdued tones. The sound design by Resul Pookutty deserves special mention as does the fantastic stunt choreography team in the film.
On the flip side, the 3 hrs 20 minute duration could be too long for some , while the thin storyline may not appeal to others. A few stunts, as in the Japan scene could appear over the top.
But Pushpa 2 The Rule is undoubtedly a pucca mass entertainer for fans of the genre and a commercial cinema at its grandest with goosebump moments, noteworthy performances and thrills aplenty.
An unmissable watch
Rating 4.5/ 5
Cast
Allu Arjun,
Rashmika Mandanna,
Fahadh Faasil
Sree Leela
Rao Ramesh,
Sunil,
Anasuya Bharadwaj
Crew
Directed by Sukumar
Production: Mythri Movie Makers
Producer : Naveen Yerneni and Y. Ravi Shankar
Music: Devi Sri Prasad, Sam CS
