The reputation of Indian cinema has now reached an international level. In the past, Indian stars were rarely invited to international film festivals, but this scenario has significantly changed, especially since the release of “Baahubali.” Indian films are now being dubbed and released directly in foreign languages in countries like Japan, China, and Russia. In this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin made interesting remarks about the Indian film industry, which have become a hot topic nationwide.
What did Putin say?
The BRICS summit, consisting of five member countries including India, is scheduled to take place in Russia on the 22nd and 23rd of this month. In a media session ahead of the BRICS meetings, Putin responded to questions about incentives for films from BRICS countries in Russia. He mentioned that Indian films are well-received in Russia and even noted the existence of a dedicated TV channel that runs Indian movies 24/7. He clearly expressed a keen interest in Indian films and confirmed Russia’s favorable stance towards showcasing Indian movies, promising a special platform to promote these films. He also mentioned that discussions would be held with Indian Prime Minister Modi on this matter.
Russians Enthralled by “Pushpa”!
Recently, Russian audiences have shown great appreciation for Indian films. Putin’s latest comments are likely to further boost the market for Indian cinema in Russia. The film “Pushpa,” directed by Sukumar and starring Allu Arjun, was released directly in Russia on December 8, 2021. The audience there particularly enjoyed the film, which ran successfully on 774 screens for 25 days, collecting 10 million rubles (approximately ₹13 crores). This makes “Pushpa” the highest-grossing South Indian movie released in Russia.
Will “Pushpa 2” Benefit?
Film analysts believe that Putin’s latest comments could have greatly encouraged the team of “Pushpa 2.” With a box office target of over ₹1000 crores, “Pushpa 2” is set to release grandly on December 6. “Pushpa” already has a strong fan following in Russia, and Putin’s recent assurances of support for Indian cinema promotions suggest that leveraging this opportunity to grandly release “Pushpa 2” in Russia would be beneficial. There are also plans to dub “Pushpa 2” in Russian as part of its overseas release strategy, which is expected to positively impact the movie’s collections. It remains to be seen how the “Pushpa” team will seize this opportunity.
Hype Boosted by Devi Sri
Music director Devi Sri Prasad has made interesting comments about the pan-India film “Pushpa 2,” directed by Sukumar and starring Allu Arjun. He stated that the film would be on another level, particularly praising the first half as mind-blowing. He revealed that the locked first half contains three scenes that could be interval-level high, increasing the excitement among fans. Devi Sri also hinted that the background music for “Pushpa 2” would be outstanding.
Item Song with Mrunal!
The songs from the movie “Pushpa” were a huge hit, especially the item song “Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava,” which became a sensation across the country, with Samantha mesmerizing with her beauty and the dance steps with Bunny (Allu Arjun) thrilling the youth. Thus, director Sukumar plans to include a similar item song in “Pushpa 2.” Recently, the name of Mrunal Thakur has come up as a potential candidate for this special song in “Pushpa 2.” There has been speculation online about negotiations with her. Previously, Tripti Dimri was considered for this song, and there were rumors about choosing Bollywood beauty Disha Patani instead. Now, Mrunal Thakur is being mentioned. The film unit needs to provide clarity on this matter.