Allu Arjun says 'Pushpa 2' will make Telugu pride go national

Mumbai: Telugu superstar Allu Arjun on Friday said he once thought that breaking into Bollywood would be impossible but with “Pushpa 2: The Rule” his desire to connect with audiences across the country is getting fulfilled.

“Pushpa: The Rise” was simultaneously released in Telugu and dubbed versions in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi languages in 2021. The movie proved to be a blockbuster in the Hindi-speaking belt.

At a promotional event here, Arjun said he is hoping that "Pushpa 2: The Rule" will enjoy the same level of success like the first part and go on to become one of the biggest hits in the Telugu industry.

"When ‘Pushpa’ became a big hit and one of the surveys said, ‘It (‘Pushpa 2’) is expected to be the biggest film in India.' I thought it is a big thing for us as the whole of India is expecting this film from us, so I should be responsible because it will bring good name for my homeland.

"It is a proud moment for Telugu people, who have supported me for 20 years and made me an actor, so it was my time to make them proud on a national scale and make ‘Pushpa’ a hit,” the actor said.

The 42-year-old actor, who recently launched the trailer of the movie in Patna's Gandhi Maidan and attracted a massive crowd, is set to return as labourer-turned-sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj in the sequel to "Pushpa: The Rise". The movie is set to hit the screens on December 5.

At the event, Arjun recounted an earlier conversation he had with music composer Devi Sri Prasad.

"I used to tell him, it is very difficult for me to do a Hindi film but as a music director, it is easy for you to do a Hindi film. Why don’t you do it? He said ‘Why don’t you do a Hindi film and with you, I will also do it.' I told him that I would never do a Hindi film because at that time it was extremely hard to do a Hindi film," Arjun told reporters.

"Doing a Hindi film was such a huge thing even to aspire for. We used to have that thing that, ‘Maybe in our lifetime we will do one Hindi film’. It was that far away for us to do the Hindi film. So from that mindset to coming to this stage and standing here is a very big thing for me,” the actor added.

"Pushpa 2: The Rule" is directed by Sukumar and also features returning stars Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli and Fahadh Faasil as SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat.

The film belongs to the whole team who spent five years on it, Arjun said.

"‘Pushpa’ is not about me, not about him (director), it is about the crew, technicians, unit members, actors, my actress working, for the last five years.

"This film belongs to bouncers, unit (members), and everybody... I want this film to be a hit and make it meaningful for them. That's why I got emotional on the last day of the shoot. I’m saying it with utmost humility I want this film to be a hit for everybody else," he said.

The actor also thanked his co-stars Mandanna and Faasil, who he fondly called FaFa, and said that he is grateful for their support throughout the film.

"He (Fahadh) is a hero himself, but still for the love of the film, and for Sukumar Garu (director) he came and played an antagonist in this film. You all will witness what a phenomenal actor he is,” Arjun said.

He said Mandanna has become a part of his family.

“I’m comfortable with her, I want to thank her for everything she has done for this film, her support is immense. There is no way this film would be complete without Shrivalli,” he said.

Mandanna, who has acted in Hindi films such as "Goodbye", "Mission Majnu" and "Animal", said when she was promoting the movies in Mumbai, people were most interested in knowing when "Pushpa 2" would release in theatres.

"And today with all of my heart and all of my confidence and all of my excitement I can proudly announce that Pushpa 2 is finally coming to December 5," she said.

"It's been a seven year journey for me as an actor, out of which five years I have been with 'Pushpa' and now with this film, I don't know how to react to it. I am very sad that it is ending but I am very excited that it is finally coming out. So I am a little overwhelmed," she added.

Mandanna, 28, said she was nervous about working with Arjun.

"I was like how do I react to sir? He has been a superstar for such a long time. I was like I don't know how to behave, what to say and all of that. But that's was the first day and today standing here in front of sir, it's like family, he is home."

Arjun also shared that he was waiting to finish shooting of “Pushpa 2” so that he could get rid of his bearded look.

“I was waiting for this film to get over so that I could clean shave because my daughter doesn’t come close to me and I can’t kiss her because I’ve got a beard. I haven’t kissed her properly in the last three to four years," he added.

Inputs from PTI.