Pushpa: The Rise

Pushpa Raj is one of the labourers smuggling red sandalwood out of the forests of Andhra Pradesh, and he starts at the bottom of the hierarchy and climbs. Sukumar builds it as a rise narrative but ties the character's anger to class and legitimacy: what Pushpa cannot get past is that he is not allowed his father's surname. Allu Arjun gave him a walk, a manner of speech and a hand gesture that spread far beyond the film itself. The Hindi dub was an unexpected phenomenon and turned the film into a national event. Red sandalwood smuggling is a real trade, and the best passages are the ones explaining how the business actually works. Who it is for: viewers who like Telugu commercial cinema and hero-driven rise stories. Who it is not for: anyone attentive to the treatment of women characters, which is a serious problem here.