Allu Arjun reflects on "Pushpa 2" breaking language barriers and its success across India

Allu Arjun recently shared his thoughts on how Pushpa 2: The Rule has helped him bridge the gap between regional cinema and national audiences. During a promotional event in Mumbai on Friday, Arjun revealed that while he once believed breaking into Bollywood would be impossible, the success of Pushpa has made his dream of reaching audiences across India a reality.

Released in 2021, Pushpa: The Rise was simultaneously launched in multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. The film quickly became a massive hit, especially in the Hindi-speaking belt, proving that regional films can thrive in pan-Indian markets.

This film belongs to bouncers, unit , 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 is a hero himself, but still for the love of the film, and for Sukumar Garu 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.

With Pushpa 2: The Rule set to hit theaters on December 5, both Arjun and Mandanna are eagerly awaiting its release, hoping it will continue to break barriers and set new benchmarks for Indian cinema.