Pushpa 2 Movie Review and Rating: Throughout the film, Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil constantly strive to outdo each other, delivering outstanding performances without any dip in quality. They shine thanks to stellar performances and electrifying chemistry.
Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 Movie Review & Rating: There’s a massive difference between a movie becoming a national sensation and one designed to be a national sensation. The simplest way to distinguish between the two is by assessing the sincerity — how genuine the movie feels and how deeply the makers have committed to its narrative and the world they’ve built. From Bahubali 2cand kgf 2 to Kanguva, Goat and Devara: Part 1, several films have succumbed to the weight of their own ambitions, trying too hard to be monumental.
This issue is even more pronounced in franchises, where filmmakers often lose sight of what made the first part a blockbuster and a fan favourite. Instead, they focus solely on broadening the appeal, amplifying specific iconic elements from the prequel while neglecting the deeper reasons the film resonated with audiences. In doing so, they fail to create a sequel that’s as meaningful or cohesive as the original, overlooking the crucial factors that contributed to its appeal. Director Sukumar’s Pushpa 2: The Rule — starring Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna reprising their roles from Pushpa: The Rise (2021) — is the latest example of a film that has faltered under the weight of performance pressure and towering expectations.
The verse from the title song, “Anni unna Pushpa ki paapam konni levanta” (Pushpa has everything, except a few), perfectly encapsulates the essence of the movie. However, while the song suggests that fear, sadness and equally powerful rivals are the only things Pushpa (Allu Arjun) lacks, the character — and the movie — indeed lack quite a few more things. Yes, it has almost everything that the first part does; but the movie occasionally does give off the feeling of being inadequate. And if you ask whether it offers anything more than the prequel, the answer would be no, despite the sequel’s larger scale. Don’t get me wrong, the film does have bigger action sequences, more moments crafted for mass appeal and even more fiery dialogues. But when it comes to offering greater depth or being as engaging and memorable as the first instalment, it doesn’t quite measure up
While Pushpa 2 is undeniably better than most capsule “pan-Indian” films, it too suffers from overreaching. From the outset, Sukumar emphasises that this instalment is bigger than its predecessor. However, his efforts often feel forced, as these grand elements aren’t smoothly integrated into the narrative. Now that Pushpa has achieved “pan-Indian” status, Sukumar introduces gimmicks to make him and the movie appear “international” — like a fight in a Japanese port, Pushpa casually buying a helicopter in Dubai and him crossing international borders to Sri Lanka with no hassle. While the original film felt natural and rooted, Pushpa 2 frequently overextends itself and this ambition often works against it. Sukumar struggles to blend these extravagant moments with the grounded storytelling that defined the first film, making the sequel’s overambitious nature its greatest drawback.
One of the most compelling aspects of Pushpa was how relatable the character was. Pushpa wasn’t a superhuman-ish person like Rocky Bhai, Salaar or Baahubali. Instead, he was grounded — a layered, multifaceted character with human flaws and depth. In The Rise, this relatability added richness to his persona; however, in Pushpa: The Rule, he is burdened by the expectation of being a brand, which flattens the character into a one-dimensional figure. While the narrative initially sets up an intriguing clash of titans between Pushpa and SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat IPS (Fahadh Faasil), teasing a massive showdown at the end, this promising rivalry ends up being inadequate as the film’s focus meanders. The exploration of male ego — so integral to The Rise — is once again portrayed effectively here, largely due to the stellar performances and electrifying chemistry between Allu Arjun and Fahadh Faasil as they shine as two equally unhinged psychos capable of going to any lengths.
Watch Pushpa 2 The Rule trailer here:
Unfortunately, the equation between Pushpa and his now-wife Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna) remains awkwardly cringeworthy. While the film deserves credit for showcasing a woman openly expressing her sexual desires — breaking away from traditional norms — it simultaneously undermines this progress by hypersexualising Srivalli, which becomes increasingly grating. Although Rashmika has fewer moments to shine, she delivers well in scenes requiring restraint but often feels cartoonish in more dramatic instances. Also, after being paired with Pushpa in the eponymous film, Ranvijay Balbir Singh in Animal, Vijay in Varisu, Major Ajay Krishna in Sarileru Neekevvaru, Bobby in Dear Comrade and Vijay Govind in Geetha Govindam — it’s hard not to wonder when she’ll finally be cast opposite a character who isn’t unnervingly eccentric.
