If morning shows the day, then the trailer launch of Pushpa 2: The Rule in Patna is a clear precursor for the spectacular success that awaits the film when it releases on December 5. Thousands of people gathered at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan to see Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandana hold centre-stage while the audience cheered, clapped and whistled ceaselessly. Each time the two struggled with Hindi, the public cheered.
So much so that Allu Arjun, no stranger to hysterical ovation, seemed overwhelmed. “I’ve seen lots of appreciative crowds. But never like this,” Arjun was heard saying.
At some point, the crowds did become unruly and had to be restrained. Luckily the police bandobast was impeccable. However, the over-excited section of the audience tried to get on stage, in vain.
Later crowds gathered at the hotel where Arjun was stationed for an hour or so. They all wanted pictures with the Telugu superstar. Unfortunately, he couldn’t oblige everyone.
This time, the Pushpa team is aiming at a much wider release than the first film in the franchise. It is much bigger than the first film, and we aren’t talking about just the budget. The scale of Pushpa 2 is not just far ahead of the first film, it is also unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The estimated budget of the second film in the Pushpa franchise is Rs. 250-275 crores. And we are not talking about the budget that is being set aside for the pre-release marketing and promotion.
No matter what it takes, Allu A.