An overbearing personality for the main protagonist, overturning trucks, loud music with unpleasant lyrics, and a classic clash between toxic masculinity and fragile femininity.
Pushpa The franchise was wrapped in all these ingredients that made it a phenomenon and not just a movie.
This is a film that made its actor a brand right from the start.
“Looking Hard” is portrayed with a bit of arrogance and emotional exploitation, which is, apparently, in the interest of storytelling.
there was all that and more Pushpa and its sequel Pushpa: Rise,
But no one had imagined the craze that was seen after its release. Pushpaand excitement all around Pushpa: Rules,
The film was released earlier this month. It earned Rs 725.8 crore in its first week. The madness increased and finally Allu Arjun was arrested.
One can’t tell what worked – was it the unwavering swag with which Pushpa lit up the screen? The unbalanced body language, the distinctive style of stroking one’s hand under one’s beard and raising one’s voice”will not bendIdioms like “, or “flowers” NoFire Is,
The star himself had said during the promotions of the film, “I am yet to become a pan-Indian star. But all I can say is that I need to explore more and as far as my performance is concerned, I I want to push beyond the limits.”
And what it did was shed the boy-next-door skin and take on a raw and rustic appeal that helped the film become a huge global phenomenon.
The first part earned Rs 74 crore on its release day and took the total to Rs 400 crore.
Effect
Pushpa Released three years ago, it established Allu Arjun as a pan-India star. He received the National Award for this film. This was attributed to the raw story, the masculine character written for the titular role, instilled fear and hence, entertained the genre’s large target audience. To this, add a glimpse of the new onscreen couple to please Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna) and Pushpa (Allu Arjun).
misogynistic attitudes
While the love story goes on Pushpa 2: RulesThere continues to be a trend to portray the lead actress as someone who has to sacrifice her life and live at the behest of her male counterpart.
In the first part, she would approach Pushpa and ask for her help in exchange for sexual favors. He did all this to save his father from the enemy. Although Pushpa rejects it, the plot shows that only through sacrifice can a woman think of protecting her dignity in a male-dominated world.
In the sequel, Srivalli is seen as a compassionate wife who defends her husband, and turns a blind eye to the carnage caused by the attacks and atrocities. She is seen as someone who is completely dependent on him, a sad and subtle representation of how women are shown as vulnerable presences in these huge and extraordinary Tollywood films.
But if we bring it back to the trend of South films, this practice has been prevalent for a long time. Let’s talk about Shahid Kapoor’s anger at that time. Kabir Singh Hit the screen.
The women were angry at the men’s misogynistic appeals and were asking whether it was okay for a man’s anger to dominate her.
Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who is often blamed for his creative vision and the extremes of misogyny seen in films, directed both the Telugu versions.Arjun Reddy Vijay Deverakonda in lead role and remake in Hindi-Kabir Singh With Shahid Kapoor.
A particular scene in the film where the lead actor slaps the female lead evoked strong reactions from the audience. Especially from women. In this day and age, depictions of such audacity are looked down upon. This isn’t the politically incorrect 80s after all.
But will this be the end of it? Apparently not, because we see a tone of the same macho, raw “Animal” in the same titled film in 2023 that broke all box-office records. Interestingly, it was again directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and featured Pushpa actress Rashmika Mandanna in the lead role.
It’s not just the offensive storyline; Look closely and you will see how the portrayal of women in this massive entertainment film is becoming derogatory.
Pushpa vs Pushpa: Rules
Pushpa 2’s The broken box-office records forced film lovers to draw parallels between the two films of the franchise. This helped find some common patterns.
While there was a song in part 1 oh endthere was a song in the sequel peels Which was quite disturbing to watch for a lot of people. Be it the sensual dance steps or the unattractive songs while the audience flocks to the theatres, dancing and lip-syncing, diving deeper into it will reveal a very rosy picture.
ooo anatav saw Samantha in a never-seen-before avatar, while composer Devi Sri Prasad remained firm on his opinion about the song connecting the story. The implication was that men were promiscuous, and this caused a high level of discomfort.
The song also met a similar fate peels When Rashmika was asked to look uncomfortable in the sequel. The choreography demanded that she be lifted up to perform some close-up movements with the actor, which caused an uproar, especially among female cinephiles.
But it highlights the same ongoing debate—despite the pattern of integration followed in the sequels. oh end Wreaking havoc upon its release, it clearly indicates that once the dust settles, the makers go back to using the formula that worked before.
At the end of the day, it’s about bringing the crowds to the movies and getting them talking about the movie.
Allu Arjun’s arrest
He Pushpa 2 That it would record an impossible box-office number was a known fact. It made a strong earning of Rs 100 crore in the first three days of its opening. By the 25th day of release it has crossed the total earning of Rs 1157.35 crore.
This is quite commendable considering the recent arrest of Allu Arjun. The actor was arrested on December 13, after a stampede left a 39-year-old woman dead and her son sent to the ICU. Allu Arjun was arrested in the stampede case.
Allu Arjun was arrested along with his security team and the management of Sandhya Theater in connection with the stampede. He was detained under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) (punishment for causing hurt). One would think that this would affect the film’s performance at the box office to a great extent. However, what happened was quite the opposite.
Following the tragedy, the 3D release of the film as well as the morning and midnight shows were cancelled. But the noise is showing no signs of slowing down, as fans continue to flock to the movies.
Allu Arjun’s wardrobe
Another interesting aspect of the entire arrest controversy was the actor’s wardrobe. Two videos went viral, one of which showed him in a green T-shirt and shorts as he was arrested and entered the elevator.
He was seen in a Pushpa 2 Merchandise hoodie with epic dialogue from his movie “Flower” NoFire Is,
The hoodie says it all…!!!
That is fire
Man aa ki thakina disti poyindi anuko.
next chief minister #AlluArjun pic.twitter.com/L4uj2aHnKG
– Royal Salute
(@KALKI_2024) 13 December 2024
Allu Arjun insisted, “Arresting me is not an issue, but coming into my bedroom and not allowing me to change clothes is a bit much.”
This immediately sparked online debate over whether this wardrobe change was a deliberate attempt to garner more buzz for her film. Although the actor had an explanation, fans would like to think otherwise.
Which brings us back to where it all started. Is star power everything?
it sure worked wonders Pushpa Star this year. Ranging from clichéd storylines, abusive misogynistic characters and debatable arrests to controversies – the result was exactly what was intended, a blockbuster outing at the movies.
It almost makes this whole shebang seem like white noise, where the OG mix of mass films continues to win, while the impact of such scenes is ignored and put to rest.
Be it reel or real, Pushpa aka Allu Arjun remained steadfast in his character -“the fucker will not bow down,
is the third installment of the film Pushpa: Stampede Has already been announced. At this time, Pushpa There is a huge fire. will not bend,
