There’s a reason why the first part of any film franchise is like… first love. There’s the spark which we keep talking about, it’s all new, exciting.
The second part of a franchise gets comfortable with what worked in the first one. Now you no longer have to impress that someone special in the relationship, run the risk of not making any efforts, and the spark ultimately fizzling out. Pushpa 2: The Rule pretends it’s making efforts to bring something fresh to the table, yet it doesn’t quite succeed.
It begins right from where the first part ended. SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) is mad for revenge on Pushpa (Allu Arjun). He wants to bust the red sandalwood smuggling syndicate Pushpa is at the top of, but fails every time he tries. But in the quest to fulfil an innocent request made by Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna), Pushpa wreaks havoc on the government. It leads to a domino effect. I am trying hard to not give away anything at this point.
And this is also the problem with Pushpa 2. It’s tough to describe the story because it doesn’t follow any order. The smallest of things here blow up into enormous conflicts. Exaggeration- of both conflicts and Pushpa’s power- is the essence here.
What more can one expect from a film which is named Pushpa- of course, he’s there in every frame. He’s not human, not even superhuman- he’s akin to God for the people in his life. The imagery of him killing goons with a Trishul in his hand, the garland of skulls, literally wearing the saree a Goddess’ idol is wearing- there’s no stone left unturned to make it clear- you better not mess with Pushpa. He can even fight with both his hands and legs tied!
The film begins on a good note, and surprisingly doesn’t include a heroic entry for the bursting-with-testosterone hero. But except one or two elevation sequences, the entire story is devoted to two things: Srivalli and Pushpa making love, and Shekhawat and Pushpa’s tussles. And both wear you out after a point. Sukumar, the director, has everything at his disposal— A-list cast, the franchise value- but stretches each plot point to the fullest, bordering on unnecessary.
Pushpa 2 also sadly stills belongs to a world where women are helpless and need rescuing. The makers achieve what they want- to portray Pushpa as the protector of the weak- but at what cost? Calling women helpless?
Making it bearable for the three hours of its runtime is its lead star, who immerses himself in his character. Allu has a lot of fun, with his unmissable swag. Fahadh doesn’t inspire a lot of terror as a worthy opponent, but as a standalone character Shekhawat is passable. Rashmika has a pleasant screen presence, and gets ample screen time (thankfully).
We are promised a third Pushpa, this time The Rampage. But the question arises: is this relationship really worth another shot? I want a break.
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