New Delhi: The Telugu film Pushpa 2: The Rule is set to break records. It has already grossed over Rs 1,000 crore in pre-release sales. And now, lead actor Allu Arjun has dropped another poster of his character in the film and a new release date on social media handles
“#Pushpa2TheRuleOnDec5th,” he announced on Instagram and X. The poster shows Arjun in a chequered blue shirt with floral motifs, holding a revolver in his hand and a smoking pipe in his mouth. It’s a marked change from the saree-wearing Arjun in the first poster. Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who was part of the first instalment, Pushpa: The Rise (2021), wrote ‘Explosion awaits’. The post has gotten more than 9.5 lakh likes in two hours.
The sequel to the hit Telugu movie Pushpa: The Rise, it was initially scheduled to be released a day earlier on 4 December. The new date has averted a direct clash with Vicky Kaushal’s upcoming historical film Chhaava, a biopic of Maratha king Sambhaji Maharaj. Rashmika Mandanna plays the female lead in both films.
Pushpa 2: The Rule is expected to break the record of Pushpa: The Rise, which was the highest-grossing Indian film of the year.
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Record-breaking series
The makers have already released two songs—Pushpa Pushpa and Soodaana. The Telugu version of Soodaana, called Sooseki, has 153 million views on YouTube, while the title track of the movie has 68 million views. The music is composed by Devi Sri Prasad, popularly known as DSP.
The value of its theatrical rights stands at Rs 600 crore, a record-setting achievement for Indian cinema. Much of this revenue comes from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and North India, which contributes about Rs 375-400 crore.
The first installment, Pushpa: The Rise had a phenomenal run at the box office, collecting Rs 356 crores worldwide in 50 days. The film was also sold to Amazon Prime Video for almost Rs 30 crores. It was labelled as a Pan-India hit and both Mandanna and Arjun’s popularity soared in north India immediately after the movie.
The first instalment’s music propelled it to viral heights. Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s dance number ‘Oo Antava’ has 441 million views on YouTube. The song was mainstay on reels, and song and dance covers across various social media.
Mandanna’s career got a significant boost too. After the first film, she signed Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal (2023), which was also a massive box office hit with Rs 900 crores earned globally.
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No delay affects popularity
Pushpa 2 was originally slated to release on Independence Day this year. The makers shared that they had to push the release date to December due to post-production work.
But reports have also suggested the exit of a crew member and re-shoots are other possible causes. The screenplay was also rewritten a couple of times. Another news outlet reported that actor Fahadh Faasil, who plays the antagonist, had initially postponed two of his Malayalam films to accommodate the film’s shoot, and could not provide newer dates when the shooting schedule changed. There were also reports of Faasil “clashing” with the makers, and causing them to lose roughly Rs 40 crores due to the delays.
Despite all the delays and controversy, the film is the most anticipated Telugu film of the year. Its Hindi version is equally in demand as it tops the list of the most anticipated Bollywood films.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)