‘Pushpa - The Rise’ movie review: But for a few sparkling moments
The Hindu
The first edition of the two-part gangster drama is a mixed bag, despite a few riveting segments. Allu Arjun is impressive, but did an over-the-top and caricaturish opponent require a Fahadh Faasil?
An hour into director B Sukumar’s Telugu film Pushpa - The Rise, set in the Seshachalam forest bordering Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, a character makes a frenzied announcement to Pushparaj (Allu Arjun) that the cops are on their trail, with their eyes on the red sandalwood stocked in the godown. What follows in the next few minutes shows yet again why Telugu filmmakers excel in making masala segments that capture viewers’ imagination. How Pushpa hoodwinks the cops and secures the red sandalwood might seem tough in reality, but a larger-than-life Telugu film will make the audiences give into that suspension of disbelief.
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Pushpa - The Rise, the first instalment of the two-part gangster drama, traces the rise of the shrewd protagonist from a daily wager to controlling the smuggling syndicate. The story takes place when pagers were in vogue and mobile phones a luxury.