Veteran actor Jagapathi Babu has spoken about his reduced screen time in Pushpa 2: The Rule during promotional interviews for Ram Charan’s upcoming film Peddi. The interviewer asked if he was disappointed with his role in Pushpa 2. Before the film’s release, Jagapathi Babu had hyped his role as a strong and impactful one, playing a central minister. After release, however, many noticed that his screen time and overall impact were limited.
In a recent interview, Jagapathi Babu revealed that a large amount of footage was shot together for both Pushpa 2 and Pushpa 3. Due to the film’s length and pacing requirements, many of his scenes as the powerful minister were either cut or shifted to the third part.
Director Sukumar personally informed him about the changes and assured him that the character would have a much stronger and more important role in Pushpa 3, including a new look. Jagapathi Babu accepted the decision positively and expressed excitement about returning for the next installment.
However, fans will have to wait a long time for Pushpa 3. The film is planned, but both Allu Arjun and director Sukumar have moved on to other major projects. Sukumar is committed to a film with Ram Charan, while Allu Arjun has lined up multiple films, including projects with Atlee, Lokesh Kanagaraj, and Sandeep Reddy Vanga.
Reports suggest that Pushpa 3 is unlikely to go on floors before 2030, or perhaps even later.
This kind of delay is common in big pan-India films when lead actors and directors are handling multiple high-budget commitments. While the story of Pushpa will continue, audiences might have to wait a minimum of five years to get closure on what happened with Pushpa and the minister played by Jagapathi Babu.
Meanwhile, Jagapathi Babu is busy promoting Peddi and has described his role, Appala Soori, in the film as one of the most satisfying performances of his long career.
