Thrilling, thoughtful, but troubled

WHY do we like Pushparaj? He doesn't care to look conventionally attractive. His shoulders are lopsided, his hair unkempt, his speech brimming with contempt. His work? Smuggling red sanders. His retribution? A fierce defiance of systematic oppression, making him a figure of political utility. And his manner of retribution? Ruthless. As he says, he kills "without mercy." In this sequel, Pushpa seems almost possessed, his machete slicing through limbs as though they were branches from a tree.

- SUDHIR SRINIVASAN

Yet, beneath the raw, violent exterior, Pushpa 2: The Rule reminds us of the man's humanity. In Shreya Ghoshal's 'Sooseki,' Srivalli speaks tenderly of Pushpa's kindness, likening him to a child—gentle and loyal to those he loves. And we see this tenderness too. These glimpses into his heart add layers to his character, but what makes Pushparaj so magnetic isn't just his complexity—it's his authenticity. Pushpa has no patience for pretense, diplomacy, or double-speak. He is, in every sense, the man everyone wishes they could consistently be.

Sukumar tests this authenticity in a deliciously tense premise: Will Pushpa apologize? In this no-win scenario, apologizing might seem like the only reasonable course of action, but it would also shatter everything Pushpa stands for. Sukumar revels in the moment, building suspense with every beat (he does this with the Chief Minister meeting portion too). Fahadh Faasil's Shekhawat opens the sequence with a cheeky callback: "Party undhi Pushpa," likening his wait for an apology to pining for a girl's response decades ago. Sukumar takes his time, heightening the tension until the sequence crescendos into a striking moment of introspection. Pushpa, staring into a mirror, asks himself the hardest question: Has power and wealth transformed him into those he once despised?

Such moments of self-reflection are rare in mass cinema, yet Sukumar weaves them effortlessly into a narrative brimming with energy and spectacle. This is a film that pulses with thought, even as it revels in wild action and audacious visuals.