&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Allu Arjun opens up about portraying a woman in Pushpa 2: 'Most alpha thing I’ve ever done'")
Allu Arjun's performance was widely appreciated in Pushpa 2: The Rule. From his rugged look to powerful action, the film was a mass entertainer. But for the actor, his transformation into a woman for the Gangamma Jathara sequence was the boldest acting choice of his career. He believes stepping into a saree and portraying the feminine side of the ritual was far from a conventional choice for a male superstar.
Allu Arjun on playing a woman
During a conversation with Forbes India, he was asked about the much-discussed sequence. Recalling the moment, he said, "I would say the most alpha thing I’ve ever done is to play a woman."
Also Read: Allu Arjun to have 'a completely different look' in Lokesh Kanagaraj AA23, sources reveal
Stepping away from the usual Pushpa Raj look, he was dressed in a saree and traditional jewellery, with elaborate makeup and blue body paint. The sequence was built around the Gangamma Jathara, a traditional celebration associated with the worship of Gangamma Thalli in the Tirupati region.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
The story behind the look
Previously, the actor had spoken about the initial hesitation he felt when director Sukumar presented the idea. "When he initially told me, I was scared. Yeah, that was the first reaction. We had finished a very macho photoshoot, and he said, ‘It’s not working.’ Then he said, ‘I want you to wear a sari, dress like a lady.’ We started doing sketches. And then we could see it. And I started buying into the idea, because there’s always a fear in the beginning. First, there was fear, and then there was exploration. And then after a point, we knew, this is going to be the USP of the film as an actor. I knew it is a challenging thing for me as an actor. If I do this, I will walk away with a huge, how do I say, with a great name. Only one thing that Sukumar garu (sir) and I thought was that even if he’s dressed in a sari, he has to look very, very macho, the alpha-ness should not be lost," he told The Hollywood Reporter India.
The sequence eventually became one of the most-talked about moments from the film.
Allu Arjun's work front
After Pushpa 2: The Rule, he is gearing up for filmmaker Atlee's upcoming science-fiction action film Raaka. Deepika Padukone and Rashmika Mandanna will also star in the project.
He also has a project with filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj, currently referred to as AA23. Meanwhile, Pushpa 3: The Rampage has been discussed as the next chapter in the Pushpa franchise.
