After much delay due to COVID, finally, the theatres saw the release of the much-awaited movie Pushpa. The Allu Arjun starer was awaited throughout the country for more than a year as it was his first PAN India base film. The movie is a two-part series where the first part sees the rise of Pushpa, from a coolie to a sandalwood smuggler, played by none other than Allu Arjun. The movie opened in theatres today and we get the response right away.
With Pushpa: Part One, The Rise, director Sukumar ventures into unchartered territory by making a rustic masala film filled with punch dialogues, characters that speak in a Chittoor dialect and a story that’s rooted deep in the region it’s set in. However, what he delivers turns out to be a mixed bag that’s over-long, falters at times and delivers what it promises at others. Therefore, the movie, even though not a disappointment has mixed bag reviews from the critics. However, the audience has just loved it with whistles and bustles all over, especially in the south.
Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) is one of the many coolies in Seshachalam who chop down red sandalwood illegally and sell it by the kilo to powers-that-be. In a syndicate that consists of numerous players, Pushpa slowly learns to find his footing and rise in ranks till the man who would once chop down these trees becomes the one giving the orders.
The Good
Where Pushpa: The Rise shines is when it comes to the casting, direction, cinematography, costumes and music for the most part. Sure, the BGM by Devi Sri Prasad might seem underwhelming at times, but his music more than makes up for it because it blends well into the story. Cinematographer Mirosław Kuba Brożek and director Sukumar seem to have found the perfect groove for this film, complementing each other with their work. Pushpa’s character’s costumes see a change depending on his standing in this world. The supporting cast also gets a chance to shine, despite sometimes being pigeon-holed into playing characters that are nothing more than cookie-cutters.
With all said and done, the first instalment of this 2 movie franchise series is Allu Arjun’s show all the way. He shines in playing this rustic character that is hard on the surface but vulnerable in ways that others don’t see. He also gets a chance to show off his acting chops, apart from the dialect he worked hard on, when he shoulders a film as massive as this one, sometimes he even makes you laugh.
The Bad
Underwhelming aspects of this flick are the VFX, art direction, editing and sound design in certain scenes. The cast of this movie did not hide the fact that they had to rush to release the film on time and it shows through the cracks. Given the run-time that seems unwarranted already, the technical glitches only make the flaws all the more glaring.
Final Words
The first instalment of Pushpa might not be the finest PAN India movie ever made in India. It has its ebbs and flaws and some mediocre moments as well. However, all said and done, Pushpa The Rise is not a disaster from any point of view. The movie has more than many moments to cheer and is a heavenly abode for masala entertainers. Lastly, watch this flick for Allu Arjun as he probably gives his career-best performance.
