Entertainment
Pushpa 2 The Rule Review: Allu Arjun Reigns Supreme, Rashmika Mandanna & Fahadh Faasil Support With Gloriously Over-The-Top Performances
Title: Pushpa 2: The Rule
Director: B. Sukumar
Cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Dhananjaya, Rao Ramesh, Sunil, Anasuya Bharadwaj and others.
Where: In Theatres
Rating: 3.5 stars
Brace yourselves for a cinematic juggernaut where gravity isn’t just defied but utterly dismissed, and the ego is not merely bruised but gloriously worshipped. This film is the sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise. It returns with a vengeance, promising not just a continuation of the saga but a leap into the stratosphere of South Indian mass cinema, where subtlety is but a quaint myth.
The film picks up where its predecessor left off—Pushpa Raj, essayed by the ever-charismatic Allu Arjun, has traded his local smuggling operations for an international playground. From the dense red sandalwood forests of Chittoor to global domination, Pushpa’s rise is nothing short of folklore-worthy. His awkward gait and signature hand gesture are back, more flamboyant than ever, as he bulldozes adversaries, systems, and, occasionally, logic itself.
Director Sukumar pulls out all the stops in delivering a spectacle that unapologetically caters to its target audience. The narrative blends action, drama, romance, and humour with the finesse of a curry where every spice screams for attention. The plot is delightfully absurd—Pushpa overthrows a Chief Minister because his wife Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna) desires a photograph with the politician, halts an entire town to rescue his kidnapped niece, and schools a megalomaniacal IPS officer Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) with gravity-defying stunts. Pushpa doesn’t merely fight; he performs physics-defying acrobatics with limbs tied and eyes obstructed, ensuring every punch lands as a metaphorical roar.
The dialogues are the kind that demand whistles and hoots, with lines like “Pushpa ka faisla mandir ka prasad jaisa hai…” or “Mai jhukhunga nahin sala,” ensuring they’ll echo in college canteens for years. Yet beneath the bombast lies a surprisingly resonant emotional arc. Pushpa’s journey is fuelled by a childhood scar—a bruised ego that morphs into his raison d’être. It’s this vulnerable core, exaggerated to a cinematic extreme, that holds the audience captive through the 200-minute marathon.
Performances are gloriously over the top, with Allu Arjun reigning supreme. His Pushpa is magnetic, maddening, and everything a mass hero is meant to be. Fahadh Faasil matches him beat for beat as his nemesis Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, and their clash is a testosterone-charged spectacle. Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli lends charm, though she often feels relegated to the sidelines, while the ensemble cast gamely contributes to the chaos.
Technically, the film is a marvel. Devi Sri Prasad’s music is a pulse-pounding delight, elevating every dramatic confrontation and choreographed brawl. Mirosław Kuba Brożek’s cinematography captures the glitz of Pushpa’s world with vivid, larger-than-life visuals. The VFX oscillates between dazzling and cartoonish, but it’s all in service of the spectacle.
For all its flaws—pacing that sags under its gargantuan runtime, a narrative that occasionally trades logic for lunacy, and a penchant for excess—it’s impossible to ignore the sheer magnetism of Pushpa 2. It’s indulgent, ridiculous, and thoroughly entertaining. The film concludes with a clear promise of more chapters to follow, and why not? In Pushpa’s world, the rise never ends—it merely finds new heights to conquer.
Bollywood
Mumbai cops intensify manhunt, get footage of intruder buying headphones after attack on Saif
New Delhi, Jan 18: Even as red-faced Mumbai Police was unable to apprehend the intruder who entered Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan’s upscale Bandra residence in Mumbai on January 16, the cops on Saturday got some footage of the attacker buying headphones after the crime. The actor’s wife actress Kareena Kapoor Khan also gave a statement to the Bandra police.
According to media reports quoting sources, the reportedly delayed response by Bandra police to the attack on the actor has drawn criticism from senior officials of the Crime Branch, who allege that immediate action could have led to the swift apprehension of the suspect. Sources said the intruder escaped due to a lack of coordination and timely alerts to other police units, including the Crime Branch and the Government Railway Police (GRP).
In a separate development, it was revealed that after the attack on Saif Ali Khan, the assailant travelled to the Dadar area in Mumbai, specifically to the Kaptan Khana locality, where he purchased a pair of headphones from a mobile shop.
The crime branch investigators, led by several officers, visited the shop and checked the CCTV footage for any evidence. The shopkeeper was questioned but stated that he had no knowledge of the attack or why the crime branch had arrived at his store.
The police also inspected the shop’s CCTV footage as part of their ongoing investigation. The investigation took a new turn when the police located the auto-rickshaw driver, Bhajan Singh Rana, who had transported Saif to Lilavati Hospital after the attack.
The Bandra police station has now recorded the rickshaw driver’s statement as part of their enquiry into the events surrounding the attack.
Despite the efforts of over 30 police teams, the attacker remains at large, and authorities are actively pursuing leads to apprehend him.
Police have launched a manhunt, analyzing CCTV footage and witness statements to track down the assailant. The motive behind the attack is still unclear, but authorities are exploring all possible angles, including personal and professional connections to the actor.
Meanwhile, in her statement to the cops, Kareena described how she and her family reacted during the frightening ordeal and explained that as soon as the attack began, she sent the children and other women in the household to the 12th floor for safety.
Saif Ali Khan, in a heroic attempt to protect them, intervened when the attacker tried to reach the family members, preventing him from getting closer.
Kareena also informed the police that the attacker did not steal anything from their home, but was extremely aggressive. She mentioned that the attacker repeatedly tried to harm Saif, who bravely attempted to defend himself. After the attack, Kareena, shaken and distressed, was taken to her sister Karisma Kapoor’s house for safety.
The actor was repeatedly stabbed during the assault, suffering multiple injuries, including wounds to his neck and close to his spine. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in an autorickshaw by his elder son from a first marriage and underwent emergency surgery.
Doctors at the hospital have stated that Saif Ali Khan is recovering well and is expected to be discharged in two to three days.
Bollywood
Arjun Kapoor & Mudassar Aziz Injured After Ceiling Collapses On Mere Husband Ki Biwi Set In Mumbai, Crew Member Suffers Spinal Injury
Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar were recently filming for a song for their upcoming film Mere Husband Ki Biwi at Imperial Palace, Royal Palms in Mumbai, when the ceiling collapsed, leaving Arjun, producer Jackky Bhagnani, and director Mudassir Aziz injured.
Ashok Dubey from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) spoke to ETimes, explaining that since the location had been there for a long time, the vibrations from the sound caused the set to tremble, which led to further portions falling off.
Ashok revealed that he injured his elbow and head, and that Mudassar was hurt, along with other crew members. The DOP, Manu Anand, fractured his thumb, while the camera attendant suffered a spinal injury. Expressing gratitude, he stated that no one was critically hurt, which was a blessing. Even our camera attendant injured his spine.
Further, Choreographer Vijay Ganguly, who worked on the song, stated that the first day of shooting went well; however, things took a drastic turn on the second day.
“We were on the monitor when suddenly the ceiling collapsed. Luckily, it fell in parts, and we had a trough to protect us. Had the entire ceiling fallen on us, it could have been disastrous, but many people still got hurt. These old locations are often used for shoots, and as production companies, we are sure that the safety measures are checked. However, many times, the safety of the location isn’t properly verified before it’s offered for shooting,” Ganguly shared.
Dubey said that they have written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the BMC to highlight the safety concerns.
“We have written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the BMC to highlight the safety concerns. We also raised the issue with the Fire Department, which confirmed that Chitrakoot’s structure has permission only for 90 days, yet it remains standing,” Dubey said.
Bollywood
Saif Ali Khan stabbing case: Hospital bill of Rs 25 lacs in two days?
Mumbai, Jan 17: Actor Saif Ali Khan’s unverified bill has been leaked online, and it shows an initial requested amount of Rs 35, 98, 700 against an approved amount of Rs 250, 00, 000.
The document states that the actor suffered an injury to an unspecified region. However, it should be noted that the document has not been verified by the hospital authorities, and has been doing rounds on social media.
Earlier, in the day, Mumbai police recovered an old sword from the actor’s house, it is unclear if it is a part of the actor’s ancestral property. Safi, who belongs to the lineage of Nawabs, is the owner of many antique and priced possessions including the Pataudi Palace in Haryana.
Saif was reportedly attacked by an assailant who barged into his Bandra house through his youngest son, Jeh’s room during the wee hours of Thursday.
As per media reports, doctors removed the 2.5 inches of knife from his wound. The actor, who underwent a surgery, has now been shifted to the ICU and is said to be out of danger.
The actor was stabbed multiple times in an attempt to fight off a burglar during the wee hours of Thursday. The actor sustained six stab wounds, two of which are said to be serious as they are closer to his spine. The incident took place at 2:15 am when the burglar allegedly barged into their Bandra home, and attacked their house help and then Saif when he intervened.
Saif was woken up by the commotion in his son Jeh’s room. He went inside the room to see the culprit arguing with their house help, looking at this, Saif intervened to save the house help with bare hands to fight off the intruder.
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