Pan-Indian wave hits Bihar as Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ wows Patna

Actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna during the launch of the trailer of their film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, in Patna, on Sunday (November 17, 2024.)
| Photo Credit: PTI

Pushpa’s craze swept Patna on Sunday (November 17, 2024) evening as thousands turned up at the iconic Gandhi Maidan to watch the trailer launch of the sequel of the South Indian film in the capital of Bihar. Starring Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil, Pushpa 2: The Rule is set to hit the screens on December 05, 2024. The highly-anticipated sequel to the 2021 blockbuster, Pushpa: The Rise, is directed by Sukumar.

Expressing his gratitude in Hindi, Allu Arjun tweaked his popular dialogue from the original (Pushpa: The Rise) and said, “Pushpa bows down to no one but will do so for you”. The crowd went into raptures. When he apologised for his broken Hindi, the fans roared, ‘chalega’ (it will do). It is a rare occasion for a South Indian actor to speak in Hindi at a public event.

Mass People

Describing the event as “historic”, senior film critic and cultural commentator Ajay Brahmatmaj said Allu Arjun’s visit recognised the migrant workers’ love for Pushpa and South Indian mass entertainers. “It should be a wake-up call for the Hindi film industry stars to look beyond multiplex-centric cinema that has failed to reflect the urges of the unemployed youth and marginal workers. It’s a reality check for those who have stopped promoting their work in Hindi cinema-consuming centres like Patna,” he said.

Suman Sinha, who has been running the single-screen Regent theatre in the heart of Patna for over nine decades, said the audience identified with the underdog image of Pushpa. “They didn’t come to see Allu Arjun. They came for Pushpa.”

The Telugu film Pushpa: The Rise is a story of Pushpa Raj, an ordinary worker who rises through the ranks in the red sandalwood smuggling syndicate with his daring attitude. The film’s Hindi dubbed version made over Rs 100 crore. Sinha said by launching the trailer in Patna, Allu Arjun broke the north-south divide in Indian cinema.

A huge crowd gathered at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Bihar, for the trailer launch of the film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

A few days back, similar scenes were seen in Lucknow when another Telugu star, Ram Charan, turned up for the teaser launch of his forthcoming film Game Changerat the popular Pratibha singer screen theatre. “South Indian films always promoted their films internationally, but this is the first time that the stars from the South are making their presence felt in North India,” said seasoned film distributor Joginder Mahajan.

“We could see it coming because Bollywood is churning out products where the stars take away the lion’s share of the budget, leaving little for creativity and publicity. However, the choice of Patna has come as a surprise,” he added.

In the Hindi heartland, the number of film screens has reduced after the COVID pandemic, but industry insiders say the audience is consuming cinema through different mediums. For instance, while the number of single-screen theatres in Bihar has reduced from 1200 to around 450 after the pandemic, small or miniplexes have come up in centres like Arrah and Siwan that can seat up to 50 people.

Security personnel try to disperse fans as they arrive to see actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna during the trailer launch of the film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, at Gandhi Maidan, in Patna on Sunday. (November 17, 2024).
| Photo Credit:
ANI

Crossing borders

“During the lockdown, the audience watched dubbed versions of South Indian films, making Allu Arjun, Yash, and Vijay household names,” said Brahmatmaj. With the increasing audience engagement, film writers are creating punch dialogues that work across languages.

ALSO READ:‘Pushpa – The Rise’ movie review: But for a few sparkling moments

For instance, the interplay of flower and fire in the Pushpa films doesn’t get diluted in translation. “Even the character’s name and surnames generate proximity. Raj is a common surname in Bihar and North India,” remarked Brahmatmaj.

In Game Changer, the hero is called Ram, and the punchline line is “I am unpredictable,” which the star used to good effect in Lucknow. The heroe might not appear politically correct or socially acceptable, but there is a demand. “Call him ‘tapori‘, ‘lafua‘, or rowdy, but different variants of Pushpa exist across the hinterland.”

Actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna at the trailer launch of their film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

It is no longer about one Vishwaroopam here and one Bahubali there, Sinha said, “Almost every other week, we have a South Indian film with strong word of mouth. Though Hindi film distributors push us, a single-screen theatre proprietor has to go by the pulse of the public. We picked Vijay’s Leo over Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki, last year.”

ALSO READ:SS Rajamouli praises Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ trailer, calls him ‘wildfire’

By bowing to his fans, Sinha felt Allu Arjun had touched the Biharis. “Now I have to put a Dabangg-size banner of 80 feet by 30 feet to whet their curiosity.”