How Allu Arjun came, saw and conquered Bollywood

Allu Arjun has arrived, and he has taken the Indian box office by storm. At a time when Ranveer Singh’s ‘83’ failed to make a mark at the Box Office, and ‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ was thought to be dominating Indian theatres – it was Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ that stole the show. 

Pushpa is a South Indian film, but it has received love and affection across India, particularly in the ‘Hindi belt’ and North India. Pushpa is a Telugu-language action-drama film written and directed by Sukumar. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with Muttamsetty Media, it stars Allu Arjun as the titular character alongside Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna.

Pushpa: The Rise is an action drama based on the lives of red sandalwood smugglers in the Seashachalam hills of Andhra Pradesh. The first part concentrated on the rise of Pushpa Raj, who starts as a daily labourer and goes on to show how he slowly becomes a key player in the smuggling syndicate. 

Pushpa’s Box Office Performance

Covid-19 and successive waves of restrictions have quite literally upended the Indian film industry, especially Bollywood. Tycoons from the Bombay-centred film industry have seen their careers getting jeopardised and OTT releases falling flat at their faces. In such an environment – when the third wave is upon India – for Pushpa to clock over 250 crore rupees domestically alone is testimony to the fact that Indians no longer want to watch Bollywood films.

Indian audiences are diversifying their cinematic tastes. Bollywood has become boring. The plots are predictable and the filming is most often underwhelmingly disappointing. A good Bollywood release is a once-in-a-blue-moon event; it doesn’t happen very often. 

Read more: Why a ‘feminist’ Bollywood is always found guilty of objectifying females

Pushpa, on the other hand, has shattered several Box Office records. According to Box Office Biz, the action movie has grossed over Rs 326 crore worldwide with a share of Rs 176 crore by the end of 23 days. The Hindi version of Pushpa has now crossed the Rs 76 crore mark in India. Pushpa hit Indian theatres on December 17. 

Allu Arjun’s Magic

Allu Arjun said it best when he said audiences in North India were looking for authenticity and conviction in films. He said, “The success of ‘Pushpa’ across northern India only validates my belief. Even if the plot is region-centric, its authenticity and the conviction with which the movie is made will appeal to audiences.”

In a recent media interview, on being asked if he’s prepared to act in a Bollywood movie, Allu Arjun said, “In addition to Hindi, I am open to acting in movies of other languages. I would like to entertain a wider audience.” He added, “Performance is nothing but the actor’s mindset; the broader it is, the wider the reach.”

Allu Arjun can prove to be an upsetting factor for many once he enters Bollywood. The man has been an actor for 20 years. So, he is a senior film artist, and will only settle for lead roles in any films he does. He made it abundantly clear that he is not interested in any project where he is not the protagonist. 

The actor said, “When we are the protagonist of the films that we do, anybody who comes to us will only come with the offer to play a protagonist, I would not be interested in anything (else). And it is very well understood.”

Allu Arjun is a fresh breeze that Indian audiences have been longing for a long time. The man’s record-breaking Box Office run with ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ tells us how he had become a sensation in India even before entering Bollywood and acting in a Hindi film. He has shown the hegemons of Mumbai’s film industry that one does not need to be from their kitty circle to make a mark across India. Indian audiences, meanwhile, have made their choice clear. They are sick of Bollywood and want nothing to do with it.