Story
PushpaRaj (Allu Arjun) works in Seshachalam forests as a labourer. He understands the trade of red sandalwood smuggling and slowly rises up the ranks by becoming a smuggler. He disrupts the established system of smuggling syndicate and figures out a way of doing a highly profitable business. He upsets Mangalam Seenu (Sunil) who is the head of the syndicate. Cops are after him, but he always manages to slip away from them. Just when everything looks good for Pushpa, a new cop Bhanwar Singh Shekawat (Fahadh Faasil) arrives in the town. Rest of the story is about how Bhanwar Singh injects some fear into Pushpa.
Artists Performance
Allu Arjun: Allu Arjun has owned the character. He has learnt Chittoor dialect and pronounced it flawlessly. His body language as a labourer is fantastic and unique. When was the last time you had seen a big star acting as a daily labour in a Telugu film? It’s a brave decision and he has given his 100%. You end up falling for the swag of the character. He has made sure that his shoulder deformation is carried through dances and songs as well. He is extremely good in scenes where he goes through inner turmoil whenever his surname comes into discussion. Allu Arjun gives his career best performance for Pushpa.
Others: Rashmika Mandanna looks very good in an unglamorous role and performed nicely. Samantha has sizzled in a special song and she is amazing. Fahadh Faasil's introduction is whacky with the dialogue ‘nee peremi’. His portrayal of an egoist corrupt cop is very realistic. Sunil looks terrific with the makeover of the villain. Ajay Ghosh is excellent as a smuggling kingpin. Rao Ramesh has a little yet vital screen time as a politician. Kannada actor Dhananjaydid a key role of a womanising baddie and he is good. Anasuya Bharadwaj looks very different and we might get to see more of her in the second half. The one actor who takes the limelight among other actors is Jagadeesh Prathap who plays the role of Pushpa’s friend Keshava. Apart from having a beautiful timing, he is good with dialogue delivery (he has given voiceover for the film). All other actors were cast perfectly.
Technical departments
Story - screenplay - direction: Story of the film is about how a coolie rises in the ranks of red sandalwood smuggling to become the head of the syndicate. Sukumar has chosen a perfect backdrop of Seshachalam forests and created terrific characterizations. Each character in the film is unique and deglamorized. He has created a huge canvas and cast actors of importance. It’s like watching a high standard English Netflix series (Narcos) where each and every character is established with authority. Sukumar has also created many cinematic highs at regular intervals. The main aspect of the film is showing consistency in the character of Pushparaj who never changes despite rising in the ranks. Money, power and popularity doesn't affect him. The villains in the film keep changing from one character to another as Pushparaj grows. The emotional aspect of Pushparaj (lack of surname and mother sentiment) is also excellently established. The love thread between Pushparaj and Srivalli is good and creates some fun moments. However, the romance scene inside the van in the second half looks a little obscene. Sukumar is always known for blending his intelligence into the lead character. This film is also no different. The way Pushpa Raj gains upper hand while moving up the ranks is intelligent (though it’s a coolie character). The entry scene of the main villain Shekawat is excellent. However, the climax episode which lays the foundation for part 2 is not effective. Climax looks pretty good on paper. It’s not a fight, but an intense verbal conversation. The staging and emotions didn’t work for a climax. Screenplay of the film is good. And the direction is great.
Other departments: Cinematography by Mirosław Kuba Brożek is excellent. He has created the world of Pushparaj with beautiful visuals. All songs by Devi Sri Prasad are chartbusters and they work well on the big screens too. Background music is mostly good. In certain scenes, it's underwhelming (probably due to poor sound mix). Sound mixing is poor in some scenes. Choreography of the action sequences by Ram Laxman and Peter Hains is stunning and leaves a great impact. Dialogues are very good. Production design by Ramakrishna and Monika is very authentic. They have left their mark in recreating a different world. Editing by Karthik Srinivas is fine. VFX in some key scenes are subpar (especially the climax episode). Production values by Mythir Moviemakers are outstanding.
Analysis: Pushpa - the first part lays a solid foundation for the story and characters. We enter a new world of Pushpa with great characters and solid performances. Sukumar came up with brilliant writing and Allu Arjun gave an intense performance. Sukumar got the first 80% of the film right, but faltered in getting the climax of the film with an emotional high (which is very much required). Pushpa film has got everything that movie lovers look for in a film. Sukumar films are always unique and it takes time for them to sink in. Pushpa is a unique commercial film with a high potential. You may watch it.
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