Hyderabad: With 20 films as a leading star, 7 blockbusters, and 6 superhits to his credit, Allu Arjun has managed to have more hits than misses in his over two-decades-long acting career. The first Telugu talent to have won the National Award in the Best Actor category for his 2021 release, Pushpa: The Rise, is celebrating his 42nd birthday today. To mark the occasion, here is a retrospective on how the actor outgrew the legacy and carved an identity of his own in the family of superstars.
Born on April 8, 1982, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Allu Arjun hails from a prominent Telugu film family. He is the grandson of Allu Ramalingaiah, a legendary comedian and producer in Telugu cinema. Initially, acting was not Allu Arjun's first career choice. He aspired to be an animator, but the influence of the family atmosphere eventually gravitated him towards becoming an actor.
Though in his initial years, the actor was known more for his dancing prowess and uber cool style quotient, it took him a few years to prove his mettle as an actor and connect with diverse audiences. Over the years, Allu Arjun has garnered a large fan base, particularly among the youth, owing to his charismatic screen presence.
The actor made his acting debut with the film Gangotri (2003), helmed by legendary director K. Raghavendra Rao. As a debutant from a prominent filmy family, Allu Arjun deserves credit for daring to perform in the song Mavayyadi Mogalthooru, in drag. The film was a superhit, and Allu Arjun laid the foundation for his career with film jointly bankrolled by his father Allu Arvind and C. Ashwini Dutt.
However, it was Arya (2004), directed by Sukumar, that truly changed the game for Allu Arjun. In this film, Allu Arjun plays a happy-go-lucky young man named Arya, who falls in love with Geethanjali (played by Anuradha Mehta), despite her existing relationship. In retrospect, the film's theme may sound problematic to many, as it can be perceived as promoting toxic masculinity and having no regard for female agency.
Sukumar, who made his directorial debut with the film, tried blend humor, action, and emotions into this romantic drama, which resonated well with the audience. The dubbed version established Allu Arjun as a superstar in Kerala too, and ever since then, the actor has enjoyed a considerable fan following in Kerala. One of the reasons for the success of Arya also goes to Devi Sri Prasad, who scored superhit melodies like Feel My Love and Nuvvunte, while Aa Ante Amalapuram managed to cross state boundaries and was enjoyed by students at college farewells.
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In the coming years, he followed up with the commercial success of films like Bunny (2005), Desamuduru (2007), and Parugu (2008), which further solidified his position in the industry. In 2009, Sukumar and Allu Arjun again joined hands for Arya 2, the sequel to their 2004 blockbuster hit. However, this time their union met with an underwhelming response from the audience. The streak of unsuccessful films continued with the release of Varudu and Vedam, both released in 2010. Nevertheless, the actor managed to garner critical acclaim for pulling off a noteworthy performance in the limited screen time that he had in Vedam.
The uptick in Allu Arjun's career began again with the release of Badrinath (2011), followed by the superhit Julayi (2012). The actor then starred in films like Iddarammayilatho (2013) and Yevadu (2014), after which he again hit the bull's eye with Race Gurram (2014).
He then tried his hand at historical drama with Rudhramadevi (2015), which was average, but he regained his grip with commercial formulaic films like Sarrainodu (2016) and Duvvada Jagannadham (2017). Both blockbuster hits further enhanced his mass appeal and stardom.
In 2020, Allu Arjun starred in Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, which emerged as a massive commercial success and further consolidated his position as one of the leading stars in Telugu cinema. Directed by Trivikram Srinivas, the film was a commercial potboiler that raked in moolah at the box office, inspiring Kartik Aaryan to remake it in Hindi, which, however, turned out to be a flop attempt.
When Allu Arjun was riding high on success and growing stardom, he again joined hands with Sukumar, this time for a pan-Indian movie, Pushpa: The Rise, which turned out to be a nationwide rage in 2021. The film became one of the first blockbuster hits post-pandemic and was credited with bringing audiences back to theaters after footfalls declined severely due to Covid-19.
After being a hit at home in India and in diaspora markets like the U.S., U.K., and the U.A.E., Pushpa: The Rise found a new lease on life when it began streaming on Prime Video. More than the theatrical reach of Pushpa, the OTT reach has been multifold, as has Allu Arjun's reach and stardom. Fans who enjoyed Allu Arjun's movies in dubbed versions on television got to see a proper release with Pushpa, as the makers released it in Telugu and dubbed versions in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.
The success of the film and Allu Arjun's growing fandom was also palpable through its biggest pop culture moments in India and beyond.
From Australian cricketer David Warner to Russian women grooving to the tune of Saami Saami on the streets to New York Mayor Eric Adams nailing Allu Arjun's signature pose from the film, Pushpa fever gripped audiences beyond boundaries. Pushpa fever reached its peak in 2022 when artisans gave a Pushpa touch to Lord Ganesha idols during Ganesh Mahotsav. Several images and videos of a Ganpati idol went viral, where the deity can be seen dressed in a white kurta-pajama similar to how Allu Arjun wore in the film. The statue also performed Pushpa’s signature hand gesture from the film.
The actor, who recently unveiled his wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Dubai, is now gearing up for the release of Pushpa: The Rule. In the film, he will reprise his role as Pushpa, a red sandalwood smuggler. In a recent interview with an international platform, Allu Arjun hinted that Pushpa 2 is going to showcase a very different shade of Pushpa than what the audience have seen in Pushpa part 1. The actor said that the audience will see the highest end of the spectrum in terms of characterisation, and scale of canvas.
After Pushpa, it will indeed be a tough journey ahead for Allu Arjun, as the actor has set the benchmark so high that he will have to keep his game up to match the expectations of his hordes of fans who are eagerly waiting for the release of Pushpa: The Rule and await updates on his next film with Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
ETV Bharat wishes this powerhouse of talent a year of claiming his RULE. Happy birthday, Allu Arjun!
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