The trailer launch of Pushpa 2 in Patna has shattered the north-south divide in Indian cinema

The Pushpa craze swept Patna on Sunday evening as thousands turned up at Gandhi Maidan to watch the trailer launch of the sequel to the hit Telugu film in Bihar’s capital.

To express his gratitude in Hindi, when franchise star Allu Arjun tweaked his popular dialogue from the original and said, “Pushpa bows down to no one, but will do so for you”, the crowd went into raptures. Although Mr. Arjun apologised for his broken Hindi, the fans roared back, “chalega” (it’s okay).

It is a rare occasion for a south Indian actor to speak in Hindi at a public event.

Describing the event as “historic”, senior film critic and cultural commentator Ajay Brahmatmaj said Mr. Arjun’s visit recognized the migrant workers’ love for Pushpa and south Indian mass entertainers. “It should be a wake-up call for the Hindi film industry and stars to look beyond multiplex-centric cinema that has not only failed to reflect the urges of the unemployed youth and marginalised workers but has also stopped promoting their work in centres like Patna,” he said.

Suman Sinha who has been running the single-screen Regent theatre in the heart of Patna for over nine decades said the audience identified with the underdog image of Pushpa. “They didn’t come to see Allu Arjun. They came for Pushpa.” The story of a worker who rises through the ranks in the red sandalwood smuggling syndicate, Pushpa became a rage in 2021, with its Hindi version making over ₹100 crore. Mr. Sinha said by launching the trailer in Patna, Mr Arjun has broken the north-south divide in Indian cinema.

A few days back, a similar scene was witnessed in Lucknow. when another Telugu star, Ram Charan, turned up for the teaser launch of his forthcoming film Game Changer at the popular Pratibha single-screen theatre. “South Indian films always had a strong international presence but this is the first time that they are making their presence felt in north India,” said seasoned film distributor Joginder Mahajan.

In the Hindi heartland, the number of film screens has reduced after the COVID pandemic, but industry insiders say the audience is consuming cinema through different media. For instance, while the number of single-screen theatres in Bihar has reduced from 1200 to around 450, several miniplexes, that can seat up to 50 people, have come up in places like Arrah and Siwan.

Crossing borders

“During the lockdown, a large chunk of the audience watched dubbed versions of south Indian films leading to Allu Arjun, Yash, and Vijay becoming household names,” said Mr Brahmatmaj. With increasing audience engagement, film writers are coming up with punch dialogues that work across languages. For instance, the interplay of flower and fire in Pushpa doesn’t get diluted in translation. “Even the character’s name and surnames generate proximity. Raj is a common surname in Bihar and North India,” remarked Mr Brahmatmaj.

In Game Changer, the hero is called Ram and the punchline line is “I am unpredictable,” which the star used to good effect in Lucknow. The behaviour of the hero might not appear politically correct or socially acceptable but there is a demand.

It is no longer about one Vishwaroopam here and one Bahubali there, Mr. Sinha said, “Though Hindi film distributors push us to screen more Hindi films, a single-screen theatre proprietor has to go by the pulse of the public. Almost every other week we have a south Indian film which is in high demand. We picked Vijay’s Leo over Shah Rukh Khan’s Dunki last year.”

By bowing down to his fans, Mr. Sinha felt that Mr. Arjun has touched the hearts of the people of Bihar. “Now I have to put a Dabangg-size banner of 80 ft. by 30 ft. to whet their appetite,” he said.

Published - November 19, 2024 01:29 am IST