Pushpa 2: The Rise - delusions of "goddess" - hood

 

Pushpa 2: The Rise

Telugu, 2024

Genre: Mafia Action

Director: Sukumar

Stars: Allu Arjun, Fahadh, Faasil, Rashmika Mandanna, Jagadish Pratap Bandari, Pavani Karanam

Mohan's Measure:  ⭐⭐

If you are wondering what the Mother Goddess has to do with a movie about a gangster, you are not 

alone. Theaters full of popcorn-stuffed people are wondering very much the same thing.

After a non-sequitur opening scene, Pushpa 2 picks up where we last left off, an eccentrically greedy smuggler, who is also a local hero, is being chased by a vengeful, mentally deranged cop.  And, for the first half of the movie we get to enjoy the cat and mouse game, along with a lot of corruption and bribery that makes up much of India's, if not the world's, politicians.  This first half is likable, with humor and comical wit offered by both Fahadh Faasil and the inimitable Rao Ramesh.  Of course, we do have to put up with the irritating eye-candy sequences featuring Rashmika, but we find these more bothersome than affecting the story in any way.

Then comes the second half, and we feel like we have entered the Twilight Zone.  The rough and formidable kingpin suddenly breaks down and cries.  He puts aside his business to support his family, and starts talking retirement with his now pregnant wife. And to top it all off, he experiences goddess possession, not once but twice. 

It is clear the directors and writers lost sight of what could have been a worthy sequel to fall into the usual fluff of Telugu mass movies.  We do not know how this second half has anything to do with the first, or how the director was going to tie it back to that long forgotten first scene. What we witness is a poorly told mix of old Telugu movies, masala-fied with hints of Kabali and - spoiler alert - Kantara.  We know Srivalli calls him Saami, but isn't this taking things too literally?

Does it strike the writers in any way that movies about dons are about macho values and unwritten codes of honor?  Yes, religion is a part of any good godfather film, but not to tribal levels. 

Speaking of banging on drums, the songs in this movie are forgotten by the time each ends. Yes, they are that bad.

Mr. Sukumar perhaps thinks that now that he has created a brand, he can take the audience anywhere and we will love it.  Franky, Sir, we are just glad to be home now that it's over.