Pushpa: The Rise | Pushpa Part-1 Collections

Pushpa: The Rise

Pushpa: The Rise is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers in association with Muttamsetty Media. It is the first installment in the Pushpa film series and stars Allu Arjun in the title role, alongside an ensemble cast including Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil (in his Telugu debut), Shatru, Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari, Dhananjaya, Sunil, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Rao Ramesh, Ajay, and Ajay Ghosh. The story follows Pushpa, a daily wage labourer who rises through the ranks of a red sandalwood smuggling syndicate operating in the Seshachalam Hills of Andhra Pradesh.

Pushpa: The Rise

Field	Details
Directed by	Sukumar
Written by	Sukumar
Dialogues by	Srikanth Vissa
Produced by	Naveen Yerneni, Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar
Starring	Allu Arjun, Shatru, Fahadh Faasil, Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari, Rashmika Mandanna, Sunil, Dhananjaya, Ajay Ghosh
Cinematography	Miroslaw Kuba Brozek
Edited by	Karthika Srinivas, Ruben
Music by	Devi Sri Prasad
Production Companies	Mythri Movie Makers, Muttamsetty Media
Distributed by	E4 Entertainment (Kerala), Lyca Productions & Sri Lakshmi Movies (Tamil Nadu), Goldmines Telefilms & AA Films (North India), Swagath Enterprises (Karnataka)
Release Date	17 December 2021
Running Time	179 minutes
Country	India
Language	Telugu
Budget	₹200–250 crore
Box Office	₹360–390 crore

Pushpa: The Rise Language-wise India Net Collection

Pushpa: The Rise (Part 1)

Plot

Set in the late 1990s, Pushpa: The Rise follows Pushpa Raj, a confident daily wage worker who enters the dangerous world of red sandalwood smuggling along with his friend Kesava. Working under smuggler Konda Reddy, Pushpa quickly rises through the ranks by using smart strategies to evade police checkpoints and protect consignments. His growing influence creates enemies, especially Konda Reddy’s younger brother Jaali Reddy, who repeatedly tries to sabotage him.

Meanwhile, Pushpa falls in love with Srivalli, a milk vendor. After facing humiliation from his half-brother over his illegitimate birth, Pushpa becomes determined to earn respect and build his own identity. He breaks away from his former boss and begins operating independently, increasing his power in the smuggling syndicate. As conflicts escalate, Pushpa confronts rivals, survives betrayal, and eventually becomes a major force in the illegal trade.

The story intensifies with the arrival of ruthless police officer Bhanwar Singh Shekawat, who humiliates Pushpa and sparks a personal rivalry. Pushpa retaliates in a bold manner, proving that his strength comes from his self-made reputation rather than status or authority. The film ends with Pushpa marrying Srivalli while hinting that his battle with Shekawat — and the larger power struggle — has only just begun.

Cast

• Allu Arjun as Pushpa Raj
• Shatru as DSP Govindappa
• Sunil as Mangalam Srinu
• Fahadh Faasil as Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat
• Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari as Kesava / Mondelu
• Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli
• Rao Ramesh as MP Bhumireddy Siddappa Naidu
• Dhananjaya as Jaali Reddy
• Anasuya Bharadwaj as Dakshayani “Daksha”
• Ajay as Molleti Mohan Rao
• Ajay Ghosh as Konda Reddy
• Shanmukh as Jakka Reddy
• Sritej as Molleti Krishna Rao
• Akshara Nunna as Krishna Rao’s wife
• Pavani Karanam as Pushpa’s niece
• Mime Gopi as Chennai Murugan
• Brahmaji as Sub-Inspector Kupparaj
• Kalpa Latha as Parvatamma, Pushpa’s mother
• Dayanand Reddy as Muniratnam, Srivalli’s father
• Raj Tirandasu as Mogileesu
• Samantha Ruth Prabhu (special appearance in “Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava”)

Production

Development

After the success of Rangasthalam (2018), director Sukumar initially planned a film with Mahesh Babu under Mythri Movie Makers, tentatively titled #SSMB26. However, the project was shelved due to creative differences. Sukumar then approached Allu Arjun, marking their reunion after Arya 2 (2009). The story retained the red sandalwood smuggling backdrop but was rewritten with a different narrative style.

Sukumar revealed that the idea came from real incidents related to red sandalwood smuggling in Andhra Pradesh. He first considered making it as a web series but later converted it into a feature film. The title Pushpa was officially announced on 8 April 2020 along with a poster release.

Pre-production

The film was set against the rural landscapes of Rayalaseema and Nellore, with the Seshachalam forests serving as the main backdrop. Sukumar personally visited locations in the Nallamala Hills for research and scouting.
Allu Arjun trained to speak in the Chittoor dialect, while a Bollywood styling team worked on his rugged look. Polish cinematographer Miroslaw Kuba Brozek handled cinematography, with Karthika Srinivas as editor and Resul Pookutty working on sound design.

Casting

Allu Arjun played the lead role of Pushpa Raj, a red sanders smuggler. Rashmika Mandanna was cast as the female lead and also learned a regional dialect for authenticity.
Several actors were considered for the antagonist role, including Vijay Sethupathi, but eventually Fahadh Faasil joined the project, making his Telugu debut. Supporting roles included Sunil, Dhananjaya, Anasuya Bharadwaj, and Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari.
Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu later joined for the special song “Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava.”

Filming

Filming officially began with a puja ceremony in October 2019 in Hyderabad. The first schedules were planned in Kerala but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shooting resumed in November 2020 in the Maredumilli forests of Andhra Pradesh.

A major six-minute action sequence was designed using Indian stunt teams as part of a “Make in India” initiative. The film was shot across locations including Maredumilli, Rampachodavaram, Rajahmundry, Kerala, Secunderabad, and Ramoji Film City.

Production faced multiple interruptions due to COVID-19 restrictions and health issues, including Sukumar’s dengue fever. Fahadh Faasil joined filming in August 2021, and major face-off scenes between him and Allu Arjun were completed later that year. The song “Srivalli” was shot in Tamil Nadu, while the special song featuring Samantha was filmed on a specially built set.

Allu Arjun later mentioned that the shoot lasted nearly two years and involved extensive logistics in forest locations.

Post-production

Dubbing began in April 2021. Different voice artists were used for dubbed versions, including Shreyas Talpade for Hindi. Fahadh Faasil dubbed his role in multiple languages, enhancing consistency across versions.

Music

Music and background score were composed by Devi Sri Prasad. The soundtrack includes popular songs such as:

• Daakko Daakko Meka
• Srivalli
• Saami Saami
• Eyy Bidda Idhi Naa Adda
• Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava

The songs played a major role in the film’s popularity, especially across multiple language versions.

Release

Theatrical

Pushpa: The Rise was released worldwide on 17 December 2021. It was originally planned for an August 2021 release, but due to COVID-19 delays and production expansion, the makers announced that the story would be released in two parts, with the first titled Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1.

The film released simultaneously in Telugu, along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. After release, a controversial scene involving Pushpa and Srivalli was removed following audience feedback, and a few additional scenes were trimmed to reduce runtime.

Later in 2022, the film was officially dubbed into Russian and released in Russian theatres. It was also screened at the Moscow International Film Festival under the category Blockbuster Hits from Around the World.

Pushpa 2: The Rule | Pushpa 2 Collections

Distribution

The Hindi dubbing rights were sold for a significant amount, and after initial uncertainty, the Hindi version received a theatrical release. AA Films handled Hindi distribution.

Regional distribution included:

• Tamil Nadu: Lyca Productions & Sri Lakshmi Movies
• Karnataka: Swagath Enterprises
• Kerala: E4 Entertainments

Home Media

The satellite rights were acquired by Star India Network (except Hindi, which went to Goldmines TV).
Digital streaming rights were secured by Amazon Prime Video, where the film started streaming on 7 January 2022, followed by the Hindi version on 14 January 2022.

A Japanese Blu-ray edition was later released on 7 August 2024.

Reception

Critical response

Pushpa: The Rise received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The film was widely praised for Allu Arjun’s performance, action sequences, cinematography, direction, dialogues, and music. However, many reviewers criticised the lengthy runtime, uneven screenplay, and editing.

Several critics described it as a strong “mass entertainer.” Reviews from outlets like Bollywood Hungama, The Indian Express, The Times of India, and Pinkvilla appreciated the film’s scale and Allu Arjun’s transformation into the rustic character of Pushpa Raj. Many reviewers felt the movie worked largely because of his performance, with some calling it a “one-man show.”

At the same time, some critics pointed out flaws such as predictable storytelling, slower second half pacing, and weaker writing compared to Sukumar’s earlier films. While a few reviews praised the character-driven narrative and engaging moments, others felt the film was overlong and could have been tighter.

Overall, the film was seen as a mass-action entertainer with strong performances but imperfect storytelling.

Box office

The film opened strongly at the box office, earning around ₹53 crore gross in India on day one and setting a post-pandemic opening record. It crossed ₹161 crore worldwide in its opening weekend and became one of the first Indian films after COVID-19 to achieve a ₹100 crore weekend in India.

The Hindi dubbed version turned out to be a major success, earning impressive collections and expanding the film’s popularity across North India. The film eventually crossed ₹300 crore worldwide, emerging as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2021 and proving the pan-India appeal of Telugu mass entertainers.

Accolades

At the 69th National Film Awards, Pushpa: The Rise won:

• Best Actor – Allu Arjun
• Best Music Direction – Devi Sri Prasad

Controversies – Pushpa: The Rise

Copyright issue

Director Sukumar and the makers faced allegations of copyright infringement from writer Vempalli Gangadhar. He claimed that the film’s red sandalwood smuggling storyline was similar to his short story “Coolie”, which had been published earlier in a newspaper. The claim was shared publicly through a Facebook post in August 2020.

Lawsuit over song

In December 2021, a lawsuit was filed in Andhra Pradesh against the song “Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava.” A men’s association argued that the lyrics portrayed men negatively and demanded a ban, saying the song mocked the male gaze. The issue gained media attention but the song remained popular.

Legacy and impact

The dialogue “Thaggede Le” (Hindi version: “Jhukega Nahi Saala”) became a massive pop-culture phenomenon across India. The line turned into a viral catchphrase, widely used in social media reels, memes, and public references, strengthening the film’s cultural impact.

Sequel

Originally planned as a single film, the story was later expanded into multiple parts:

• Pushpa 2: The Rule — released on 5 December 2024
• Pushpa 3: The Rampage — currently in development

EXTERNAL LINKS

WIKIPEDIA :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushpa:_The_Rise#

IMDB :- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9389998

INTERNAL LINKS

PUSHPA PART2 :-

Mowgli (2025 film) | Mowgli (2025 film) Movie Collections

KAITHI :- https://cinemaatlas.com/kaithi-kaithi-collections/