First things first. I am not a fan of Pushpa: The Rise, the first film in filmmaker Sukumar’s franchise. I found it lagging behind in storytelling, performance of the lead actor and filled with quite a few problematic moments. However, I am pleasantly surprised to find Pushpa 2: The Rule not only better than part one but also a paisa vasool entertainer.

The first film ended with Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) becoming a large force in the world of red sandalwood smuggling. In the end, he marries his lady love Srivalli (Rashmika Mandanna) while his nemesis in the form of the cop Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil) vows to destroy Pushpa for his crimes and the insult meted out to him.

In Pushpa 2, Pushpa has become an even bigger name in his line of work. He has now extended his empire beyond the national borders. Shekhawat’s vengeance is even stronger now and he puts in various efforts to nab Pushpa and destroy his illegal business. At the same time, Pushpa also faces family issues with his elder brother Mohan (Ajay) but has more than a soft corner for his niece Kaveri (Pavani Karanam), who respects him dearly.

Pushpa 2 is entertaining from the word go but it doesn’t quite start on a positive note. The entire fight sequence in Japan lacks proper clarity. But the movie comes on track soon and stays there almost for the entire duration.

The movie is mostly about the cat-and-mouse game between Pushpa and Shekhawat, with each trying to outsmart each other. This results in some dramatic, thrilling as well as funny moments. No prizes for guessing who has the upper hand most of the time.

As mentioned before, the second film doesn’t lag behind in the areas it did in the first. The narrative is more engaging this time. The film is also better in terms of the action and stunts. The major fight scene in the pre-climax itself is your money’s worth. The film is also technically sounder when it comes to the cinematography and background score. But the same can’t be said for the music. The first film had the hit number ‘Oo Antava’.  This one lacks even a single memorable song. Although Sreelela does well in ‘Kissik’ the song, especially the lyrics, are unimpressive.

This film also scores high when it comes to the portrayal of women. While the first one had its share of problematic moments, that’s hardly the case here.

Along with the narrative, a major improvement in Pushpa 2 is the performance of Allu Arjun. He appeared one-dimensional in the first film on most occasions. But here, he shows his wide range as an actor and shines while displaying various moods of Pushpa. Apart from mouthing heroic one-liners and bashing up people, he is impressive even during emotional moments.

Because of better characterization, Rashmika Mandanna too gives an improved performance this time. Fahadh Faasil too goes a few notches higher. It was heartening to see his supreme acting talent at better use this time. Ajay, Pavani Karanam and Kalpalatha (Pushpa’s mother Parvati) provide earnest supporting acts. Rao Ramesh, Anasuya Bharadwaj and Sunil also chip in with decent acts.

Coming to the minus points, Pushpa 2 could have had a reduced runtime than 3 hours 20 minutes. A few scenes, including a couple of action sequences, could have been trimmed. There are instances where the makers have taken a lot of creative liberties, even by the standards of commercial masala entertainers.

Overall: Pushpa 2: The Rule fares much better than the previous film in the franchise. The movie ends with a bang with the announcement of the next film in the series titled Pushpa 3: The Rampage. The movie is expected to be a ‘wildfire’ at the box office with several records in sight.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Sukumar

Producers: Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings

Writers: Sukumar (Story and Screenplay) and Srikanth Vissa (Hindi dialogues)

Cast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil

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