Few years ago, when I watched Pushpa: The Rise, I was not totally impressed by it. So when I entered the theater 9 days ago to watch its sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, I was skeptical. I had spent $100 ($25 x 4) to watch it. The movie started with a fight and I was thinking it is going on the same level as part one. Then the container that fell to the ground earlier, adjusts itself and falls flat on the floor which had water and the name on the container now in the reflection read “PUSHPA”. Suddenly I sat up in my chair and realized that Sukumar is in top form. But I cannot watch Pushpa 2 in a theater one more time.
The cops then start lecturing Pushpa on the new rules of Shekhawat sir. Then Pushpa turns around the conversation to point us to the title of this sequel. What follows next is the domination of Pushpa and his money power over law. This helped me gauge the level of finesse Sukumar and his team achieved in writing. But I cannot watch Pushpa 2 in a theater one more time.
Before the interval, Pushpa turns around his vehicle and heads towards where Shekhawat is. Just like any mass cinema fan, I expected now this will lead to a major fight scene leading to interval block. Then Sukumar says, “No fight here, just crash your car into his police vehicle. Push him into the water and start peeing. I will take the reaction shot of FaFa.” Now that is Sukumar at his peakest Mass. He takes it further massy with “Dhammunte pattukora Shekhawattu…”. But I cannot watch Pushpa 2 in a theater one more time.
After a great first half, Sukumar shifts gears and makes the movie a launch vehicle to launch Allu Arjun onto the Everest of Indian cinema. Allu Arjun is a different level star/actor before the Jaathara episode and after the Jaathara episode. Audience will never see Allu Arjun as the same ever again. He climbed a few levels up with his utmost dedication and unflinching hard work. But I cannot watch Pushpa 2 in a theater one more time.
Towards the end Sukumar was like, “Nope, Jaathara was not enough, lets hype Pushpa and Allu Arjun even further.” Then comes the ultra massy warning scene of Rappa Rappa Rappa followed by the tone matching Rappa Rappa Rappa climax. It could have easily gone the other way and became a meme material but Sukumar and Allu Arjun crafted it with utmost dedication and total conviction that it is now a legendary climax. But I cannot watch Pushpa 2 in a theater one more time.
Because since I watched it for the first time 9 days ago by spending $100, the movie is still playing in theaters for the same $20. On its 10th day the prices came down to $15 to #17. But by now my hype quotient for Pushpa 2 has come down with all the scenes I mentioned above freely available on Instagram and X platforms. Like the previous article mentioned, watching Telugu cinema one time in theater has become a luxury but if for some reason you want to watch it again, then it will be termed as borderline insanity with the ticket prices staying unaffordable.
I think this has to be a question to each Telugu audience. Where did we go wrong? Why are we being penalized again and again? Yes we love movies but to what expense. $200 for a two time watch? $300 for a three-time watch in a 10-day period? I felt Telugu audiences are praised all over India now, for the way we admire our movies. Then why is this taxation of expensive ticket prices only for us? Are we being forced to stop watching Telugu movies in theaters? If we don’t question this now, it is becoming adverse with every release. For Devara, ticket prices came down after 7 days. For Pushpa 2, they came down after 9 days. For Game Changer and Daaku Maharaaj, maybe they will come down after 30 days. If we don’t question now, that means we are accepting this.
– Rohit
Telugu Commercial Cinema’s biggest fan