Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ has made all the right kinds of noise since its release. The Telugu action drama has been a blockbuster and garnering largely positive reviews. However, Garikapati Narasimha Rao, a Padma Shri awardee and proficient Telugu public speaker, has made some startling statements on the Sukumar directorial. He has criticised the director’s decision to portray a smuggler as a hero, and “promote” violence. In a recent TV interview, he stated that films like Pushpa are to blame for many societal tragedies.
“The movie doesn’t make any sense and it sets a dangerous precedent. It glorifies a smuggler and calls him a hero,” Rao said.
Rao, who is known for his straightforwardness, has accused the film of glorifying criminal activity on several occasions. He said that many individuals in society get influenced by movie characters, and could regard the smuggler in Pushpa to be stylish and fashionable. Noting that cinema is a powerful medium, he challenged filmmakers and actors to create inspirational characters instead of fooling people with criminality and sexual material.
Rao often conducts lectures on the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavad Gita in which he praises the deities, and urges people, particularly young ones, to look up to them as great role models.
Making his case against Allu Arjun’s film, Rao said the film’s protagonist is a sandalwood smuggler, and argued that many youngsters view him as a leader.
“What if someone hits a random person on the road and shouts, thaggede le?” He went on to question if they would accept responsibility if “inspired” followers would misbehave.
Recently, a men’s union also filed a complaint against Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s special dance performance Oo Antava in Pushpa. According to reports, a lawsuit was filed against the song for depicting males as lusty in its lyrics and illustration.
