For a long time, many people have debated the true reason behind the historic success of Pushpa 2. Some credited the film’s performance entirely to franchise and recall value, along with aggressive marketing.
However, the latest circuit-wise box office numbers are strengthening a different argument altogether: the pan-India pull of Allu Arjun.
The biggest example comes from CP Berar, one of India’s most important mass circuits. While Dhurandhar 2 has shattered records for Hindi cinema across the country and emerged as a massive blockbuster, it has still failed to match the numbers of Pushpa 2 in CP Berar. The gap is not small either. Fial box office collections suggest Pushpa 2 remains nearly 30% ahead, a remarkable achievement considering the extraordinary run enjoyed by Dhurandhar 2.
The trend is not limited to a single territory. In Rajasthan, Bihar, CI, Odisha, and parts of Gujarat, Dhurandhar 2 remains behind Pushpa 2. What makes this even more significant is that Dhurandhar 2 is a widely accepted blockbuster, while Pushpa 2 continues to face backlash from sections of audiences and critics regarding its storytelling and execution.
That contrast is exactly why these numbers matter.
They indicate that Allu Arjun’s reach in the Hindi mass belts may be deeper than many initially assumed. Unlike films that depend heavily on multiplex audiences and urban centers, Pushpa 2 appears to have connected strongly with audiences in smaller towns and mass markets. Those are the areas where genuine stardom is often measured.
In fact, several trade observers now believe that Pushpa 2’s success cannot be explained purely through franchise value. Franchises can create openings, but sustaining such gigantic numbers across multiple circuits requires a strong connection between the star and the audience. The performance of Pushpa 2 suggests that Allu Arjun has managed to build that connection across regions that were once considered difficult markets for Telugu actors.
This naturally shifts attention toward his future lineup.
His next film, Raaka, directed by Atlee, could become one of the most important projects of his career. Unlike Pushpa 2, it is not backed by an established franchise. It is also a sci-fi action film, a genre that carries both opportunities and risks. The first-look material received mixed reactions and has not generated the kind of frenzy many expected from a post-Pushpa 2 project.
Raaka will be the real test of Allu Arjun’s pan-India stardom. While the Dhurandhar 2 vs Pushpa 2 numbers highlight the massive reach of Allu Arjun, there is still a debate over how much of that success came from the Pushpa brand and how much came from Allu Arjun himself. If Raaka emerges as a big blockbuster, it will further strengthen his standing as a genuine pan-India superstar. But if it underperforms, many of the current narratives around his box-office dominance could quickly lose momentum.
