Pushpa 2 Hindi Movie Review : Daddy issues, a body count, and all of it to service one big caricature ft. Allu Arjun

Pushpa 2: The Rule Review (Hindi): Plot: It all starts sometime after the last one ends. Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) has now Dunki-ed himself to Japan to see the men who are buying the red sandalwood from him. A full-blown fight sequence leads to a flashback where the daddy issues come alive yet again, which then takes us to a time between probably the present and the flashback where Pushpa is now married to Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna). Inspector Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) continues to follow him. Between all of this is Pushpa trying to make his man the CM of the state and the fiasco that comes with it.

Pushpa 2: The Rule Review (Hindi): Analysis

To begin with, it is worrisome if you think about the fact that the current trend in ‘Machismo Fueled’ cinema is that if a man has ‘Daddy Issues’ or maybe a dysfunctional family life, it is okay if he takes the bad route but he should be loved regardless because he is bad because he did not get it. This striking thought comes when the T-Series logo flashes on the screen with a song from Animal in the background leading to Pushpa: The Rule. The way the country as a whole (the pan in Pan-India) has surrendered to romanticizing Stockholm syndrome is very scary because how else do you define a country waiting for a movie where the hero actually does all the wrong things in the name of craving a family and love? He is not Vijay Chauhan, Rahul, or Prem. He does every illegal thing possible but you should love him because, ‘Hey, see he is good at heart and doesn't hit his wife’ (looking at you, Rashmika Mandanna).

So as another weekend is close, and one more movie justifying a criminal, passing him as a hero, hits the big screen, you see the audience buying that ticket and dancing to his action sequences like he has done some God’s unfinished job. Rashmika Mandanna calls Pushpa ‘God’ in the first 15 minutes. So you get my point. Think of this as a story happening for real. We are worshipping the criminal who is smuggling things and looking at a cop trying to bust his racket as the villain. Well, I couldn't think of anything else for the next 10 minutes when this thought struck my mind. Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2 stands straight on that striking chord and twists it even more because Sukumar now wants to explore daddy issues more deeply.

Written by A.R. Prabhav, Sukumar, and Srikanth Vissa, Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2 is much beyond fan service. It is three hours of looking at how and why you should be worshipping this man after he does one illegal thing after another. But hey, we hired one of the best cinematographers in the business. So here is Miroslaw Brozek making every possible effort to make the action sequences the talking points and not let the world see that no storyline has any impact on one another, and the most time-consuming is the most pointless of them all.

Also Read: Pushpa 2 Telugu breakeven number: Mammoth task ahead for the Allu Arjun starrer

The screenplay of Pushpa 2 feels like the three writers chose three storylines to make one movie, wrote them in isolation, joined them in parallel, and forgot that those need to organically blend into each other. Because what else would defend the fact that none of the three arcs impact one another in any way? For instance, Fahadh Faasil is back to give a stellar performance as Shekhawat. He wants to stop Pushpa from smuggling some 2,000 tons of red sandalwood out of their state. That storyline ends, giving Faasil an end (not spoiling). This part of the story takes most of the first half. But the second storyline, where he is struggling to have a family name, and a legacy, and his stepbrothers keep belittling him, takes home the trophy to have the climax to itself. But these two stories have no impact on one another. Even if the Fahadh Faasil side of the story is removed, the family story remains the same and vice versa.

So what was the point of either of the stories? Now you must be confused. What is the third one? Well, the third storyline is an opening where we see Pushpa battling goons in Japan. What happened to that? Why are we watching these three random stories of one man having nothing to do with one another in a movie that wants us to believe it is all connected? In addition, the sole purpose of Srivalli this time is to worship Pushpa, get intimate with him, and have a monologue about how good a thirst trap his God complex is. Is it an update on what she did in the first film? Yes. Is it a better one? Not. Fahadh Faasil is the best actor in this lot and creates the most drama in the narrative. You see him bringing so much with his eccentric performance.

Now when you compare his eccentric act to that of Pushpa, the character played by Allu Arjun has become more of a caricature and less of a person you might want to believe is real. Allu has marinated himself in Pushpa Raj and no doubt plays him to the best of his capability. But what can even he do if the writers and director don't want their leading God to go beyond being a dummy God? His walk, mannerisms, slow-motion shots, and way of talking feel so caricature-ish that three hours and twenty minutes of it is extremely overwhelming and stretched.

Kudos to the writers who made the screenplay so busy and the action team who put so much into the action that it doesn't feel like there has been anything. But in retrospect, you will feel like nothing connected well to become one story. The vibrant color scheme and great action direction cannot really hide the shortcomings. Also, when do we stop making molesting women a motivation for a character to fight the world or do something good? Even Maharaja suffered from the same problem. It's 2024; can we get over that plot device and make it rest in peace? The music is quite underwhelming this time and none of the songs other than Angaaron sung by Shreya Ghoshal works. 

Pushpa 2: The Rule Review (Hindi): Final Verdict

Pushpa 2: The Rule doesn't even reach the point where we discuss the problematic things this country’s audience has made peace with. It is disjointed, with no connection between the storylines at the very base. Everything beyond comes much later. The main problem is the very screenplay that runs in all directions. It is a caricature worship saga laced with a good technical team and a stellar Fahadh Faasil.

Pushpa 2: The Rule releases on the big screen on December 5, 2024. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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