Anupama Chopra reviews "Pushpa 2: The Rule," the latest action spectacle from director Sukumar starring Allu Arjun as the ambitious sandalwood smuggler who has risen from daily wage laborer to international kingpin. This ambitious sequel attempts to elevate every aspect of its predecessor while exploring themes of legitimacy, respect, and power.
The film follows Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun), now an international player who can manipulate elections and chief ministerial positions, as he faces off against the unhinged police officer Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) while dealing with family drama and new enemies. Anupama Chopra examines how the film, while showcasing inventive sequences and Allu Arjun's committed performance, struggles with its excessive 3-hour-20-minute runtime and relentless maximum mode storytelling.
With impressive production values, killer dialogue, and Sukumar's flamboyant direction, "Pushpa 2" marks an ambitious if somewhat exhausting continuation of the saga. Anupama Chopra discusses how the film, despite its audacious action sequences and emotional moments, falters due to repetitive hero elevation scenes and a problematic subplot, while setting up the next installment "Pushpa 3: The Rampage."
