Pushpa 2: The Rule is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, in association with Sukumar Writings. The film stars Allu Arjun in the titular role, alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Jagapathi Babu, Dhananjaya, Rao Ramesh, Sunil and Anasuya Bharadwaj. It is the second instalment of the Pushpa film series and the sequel to the 2021 film Pushpa: The Rise. The film follows Pushpa Raj, a small time daily wagerer risen to the ranks of sandalwood smuggler, who struggles to sustain his business as he faces tough opposition from the police led by Shekhawat.

The sequel was officially announced a few days prior to the original film's release in December 2021, under Pushpa 2, while the subtitle Pushpa 2: The Rule was announced in August 2022. 10% of the film's footage was initially shot back-to-back with the original film. However, Sukumar decided to alter the story, which led to the film's principal photography commencing in October 2022. The film has music composed by Devi Sri Prasad, cinematography handled by Mirosław Kuba Brożek and editing by Naveen Nooli. Made on a budget of ₹400–500 crore, the film is one of the most expensive Indian films. With a runtime of 200 minutes, it is one of the longest Indian films ever made.

Pushpa 2: The Rule was released worldwide on 5 December 2024 in standard, IMAX, 4DX, D-Box and PVR ICE formats. Setting several box-office records, it has earned over ₹1,600 crore (US$190 million) worldwide, emerging as the highest-grossing Indian film of the year, second highest-grossing film in India, second highest-grossing Telugu film, and third highest-grossing Indian film.

A consignment of red sandalwood arrives at the Yokohama port in Japan, where workers are shocked to find Pushpa hidden inside one of the containers. He attacks them, demanding payment for the load but is shot and falls into the sea, triggering a flashback.

After humiliating SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, Pushpa rises to power as a respected smuggler, while Shekhawat goes into hiding. Shekhawat secretly masquerades as a laborer and intercepts a massive sandalwood consignment. Meanwhile, Pushpa meets the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Narasimha Reddy, but is denied a photograph with him to avoid political backlash. Offended, Pushpa vows to topple the government by making Siddappa the Chief Minister, raising ₹500 crores through sandalwood smuggling.

Pushpa strikes a deal with Central Minister Kogatam Veera Pratap Reddy and meets international buyer Hameed in the Maldives to sell 2,000 tons of sandalwood for ₹5,000 crores. Several smugglers join Pushpa’s syndicate, but Mangalam Srinu and Dakshayani, along with Shekhawat, plot to sabotage the operation. Shekhawat kills one of the syndicate members, causing fear among the others, who urge Pushpa to relinquish his leadership to Srinu.

Pushpa, however, manages to use his tricks and ways to smuggle the sandalwood to Chennai until its final destination in Sri Lanka. During the transport, Shekhawat catches up and shoots down all the trucks, forcing the drivers to escape. The media lauds Shekhawat for the raid, but Srinu realizes the load was not sandalwood but Sandra, a wood that resembles red sandalwood but holds no market value. Pushpa had instead created bullock carts with the actual load and transported it to Chennai, indirectly aided by Shekhawat himself.

Shekhawat eventually obtains permission to track the consignment to Rameswaram but fails to capture it before it crosses the Indian-Sri Lankan border. Furious, he burns the storage site, seemingly killing himself in the blaze. Meanwhile, Srivalli discovers she is pregnant, and Pushpa celebrates. However, tragedy strikes when his niece, Kaveri, is assaulted during a festival and later kidnapped by Bugga Reddy, the nephew of Veera Pratap Reddy. Pushpa rescues her, killing Bugga and his gang, along with Subba Reddy, Bugga's father and Pratap Reddy's younger brother. He reconciles with his estranged family, celebrating Kaveri’s wedding, only for a mysterious figure to detonate a bomb at the wedding.

Before the release of Pushpa: The Rise in 2021, the film was announced to release in two parts, with the filmmakers stating that the maiden part would release that year, whereas the latter part would release the year after (2022). Initially, 10% of the sequel's footage was shot back-to-back with the first part, however, Sukumar decided to alter the sequel's story to reportedly fulfill the audience's anticipation and correct the previous film's mistakes. The scripting part of the film was completed by July 2022 in Hyderabad. The official title, Pushpa 2: The Rule, was announced on 22 August 2022. An inaugural muhurat puja ceremony was held on the same day in Hyderabad with the presence of the film's cast and crew.

Sukumar wrote the film's script while Srikanth Vissa contributed in the dialogues. Sukumar further retained most of the technicians from previous part including cinematographer Miroslaw Kuba Brozek, editor Karthika Srinivas and Ruben, art director S. Ramakrishna and Monica Nigotre and sound designer Resul Pookutty and Vijay Kumar. Deepali Noor and Sheetal Sharma served as costume designers while Preeti Sheel Singh was hired as character designer. Peter Hein, Kecha Kamphakdee, Dragon Prakash and Nabakanta were hired as stunt directors. Dance choreographers of the film includes Prem Rakshith, Ganesh Acharya, Sekhar, Vijay Polaki and Shrashti Verma.

While Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil, Rashmika Mandanna, Dhananjaya, Rao Ramesh, Sunil, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Ajay Ghosh and other remaining actors from first part have reprised their respective roles, Jagapathi Babu was roped in for a pivotal role in April 2023. Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari rejoined the cast in February 2024, after he was given bail in suicide case.

Initially, there were speculations about various actresses including Malaika Arora, Triptii Dimri, Janhvi Kapoor, Disha Patani and Shraddha Kapoor, being considered for the item number. However, Sreeleela was later finalised.

Later Saurabh Sachdeva, Tarak Ponnappa, Satya and Adithya Menon were also reported to be the part of the film.

Principal photography began with a test shoot on 30 October 2022 in Hyderabad. In January 2023, an action sequence was shot in Visakhapatnam. In March 2023, some scenes were shot in Bangalore. Rumours were circulated that the shooting of the film was stopped as director was unsatisfied but later turned out to be false as shooting was again started after a few days.

In April 2023, some forest sequences were shot in Malkangiri district of Odisha. Jagapathi Babu was cast in April 2023. Fahadh Faasil joined the sets in May 2023 while Rashmika joined the sets in June 2023. On 3 June 2023, a bus carrying crew artist from the film met with an accident near the Vijayawada–Hyderabad Expressway. In July 2023, an action sequence was shot in Visakhapatnam Port along with 50 stuntmans, where Allu Arjun hanged upside down almost 100 feet above the ground using a crane. In August 2023, some scenes were shot in Ramoji Film City. In November 2023, the filming resumed in Hyderabad. In December 2023, the filming was postponed due to Allu Arjun's health.

In March 2024, some sequences were shot in Vizag and Yaganti Temple. It was later reported that the makers spend ₹50–60 crore for the Gangamma Jatara performance and a fight sequence. In April 2024, a massive underwater sequence was shot in Hyderabad. In May 2024, it was reported that the film will have multiple endings and to maintain secrecy the makers opted the no phone policy on the film set. In July 2024, it was reported that shooting of film was delayed due to rift and creative differences between Allu Arjun and Sukumar, however they were later proven to be false rumours as shooting was restarted again in Hyderabad.

Sets depicting 1990s and 2000s Japan and Malaysia were recreated at Ramoji Film City, though plans were to shoot on location, recces at Bangkok, Malaysia, and Japan determined that budget and time constraints would not allow it. In August 2024, the climax of the film was shot. An item number featuring Sreeleela was filmed in November 2024 in Hyderabad. The whole shooting of the film including the romantic song "Peelings" was wrapped by late November 2024.

The VFX of the film were provided by Makuta VFX; R.C. Kamalakannan served as the visual effects supervisor. Resul Pookutty and Vijay Kumar served as the sound designers. Just like the previous part, Shreyas Talpade and Jis Joy once again dubbed for Allu Arjun in the dubbed Hindi and Malayalam versions, respectively. In May 2024, both Ruben and Karthika Srinivas opted out of the film due to scheduling conflicts and creative differences, resulting in them being replaced by Naveen Nooli, marking his third collaboration with Sukumar after Nannaku Prematho (2016) and Rangasthalam (2018). The first half of the film was edited by October 2024. Rashmika completed dubbing for her portions by November 2024.

The final copy of the film was ready by late November 2024 and was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) that month. On 28 November 2024, the film received a U/A certificate from the Censor Board, with a finalised runtime of 200 minutes after some words and excessive violent scenes were censored.

The background score and soundtrack of the film were composed by Devi Sri Prasad, with lyrics written by Chandrabose. The film also features additional background score composed by Sam C. S. The music rights of the film were acquired by T-Series for ₹65 crore. The first single titled "Pushpa Pushpa" was released on 1 May 2024. The second single titled "Sooseki (The Couple Song)" was released on 29 May 2024. The third single titled "Kissik" was released on 24 November 2024. The fourth single titled "Peelings" was released on 1 December 2024. The fifth single titled "Gango Renuka Thalli" was released on 5 December 2024 along with the album.

The first-look poster along with an announcement glimpse video was released on 8 April 2023, coinciding with Allu Arjun's 41st birthday. The teaser of the film was released a year later on 8 April 2024, coinciding with Arjun's 42nd birthday. A grand press meet was held on 24 October 2024 in Hyderabad where the new release date of the film was revealed.

Promotional activities for the film is scheduled to take place in Patna, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The film's trailer was released on 17 November 2024 at a massive event in Gandhi Maidan, Patna. On 24 November 2024, a pre-release event was held in Leo Muthu Indoor Stadium, Sri Sai Ram Engineering College in Chennai. On 27 November 2024, another pre-release event was held at Liwa Hall, Grand Hyatt in Kochi. A press-meet was held on 29 November 2024 in JW Marriott Sahar in Mumbai. On 2 December 2024, another pre-release event was held in Police Grounds, Yousufguda in Hyderabad. The event was also attended by S. S. Rajamouli, Allu Aravind, Shiva Nirvana, Vivek Athreya, Gopichand Malineni and Buchi Babu Sana. Later on 7 December 2024, a success meet was held in Hyderabad. On 12 December 2024, another success meet was held in Delhi.

Pushpa: The Rule was theatrically released on 5 December 2024 in standard, IMAX, 4DX, D-Box and ICE formats. Apart from the original Telugu language, it was released in the Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Malayalam languages. A 3D version of the film was initially scheduled to be released on the same day, however, the shows were postponed to 13 December 2024.

Initially, the film was announced by the makers to release on 15 August 2024, coinciding the occasion of Independence Day. However, due to unfinished shooting and post-production, it was postponed to 6 December 2024, before being preponed one day earlier to its current date of 5 December. It was slated to be the first Pan-Indian film to release in the Bengali language. However, the Bengali version was not theatrically released.

The film is reported to release in more than 12,000 screens worldwide. In India, the film was released in over 6,500 screens out of which 4,500 screens were allocated for the Hindi version (Biggest release for a dubbed film). In the overseas market it was released in more than 5,000 screens.

The North India distribution rights were acquired by Anil Thadani's AA Films for ₹200 crore. The distribution rights for North America were acquired by Prathyangira Cinemas and AA Creations. The Kerala and Karnataka distribution rights were acquired by E4 Entertainment and N Cinemas respectively. AGS Entertainment acquired the Tamil Nadu distribution rights. Forum Films will distribute the film in Australia and New Zealand while AA Films UK Ltd. will distribute the film across United Kingdom and Friday Entertainment will distribute in France.

The ticket price hikes were estimated to be around ₹354 in single screen theatres and ₹531 in multiplexes across Telangana, and ₹324.5 in single screen theatres and ₹413 in multiplexes across Andhra Pradesh. The price for special premiere shows on 4 December was hiked by ₹800 across Telangana.

The film made a record of the highest pre-release business in India, with combined theatrical and non-theatrical business of ₹1085 crores.

Prior to its release, the film made a business of nearly ₹640 crore (US$77 million) from its theatrical rights. The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana distribution rights were sold for ₹220 crore (US$26 million). The Hindi dubbed distribution rights were sold for ₹200 crore (US$24 million). The film made a combined deal of ₹100 crore (US$12 million) from distribution in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala theatres. The overseas distribution rights were sold for ₹140 crore (US$17 million). It further made ₹425 crore (US$51 million) from non-theatrical rights, including digital, satellite and music rights.

The film started its advance booking on 30 November 2024. The film minted record advance booking sales grossing ₹100 crores worldwide and selling around 2 million tickets in its pre-bookings alone. The film also set the record for being the fastest movie to sell 1 million tickets on BookMyShow surpassing the likes of Baahubali 2: the Conclusion, K.G.F: Chapter 2, and Kalki 2898 AD.

The satellite rights of the film were acquired by Star Maa. The digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by Netflix for ₹275 crore.

Nishad Thaivalappil of News18 gave 5/5 stars and wrote "Pushpa 2: The Rule is a raw, wild, and action-packed extravaganza. With its gripping narrative, larger-than-life performances, and massy appeal, it’s the entertainer of the year. Don’t miss the chance to witness Allu Arjun’s brilliance on the big screen!" Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film four and a half stars out of five terming it as a wildfire entertainer with mass appeal, blending intense action, gripping drama, emotional depth and Allu Arjun's unmatched swag which elevates the film, making it a must-watch for fans and audiences alike. Simran Singh of DNA India gave 4.5/5 stars and wrote "Pushpa The Rule: Part Two will RULE the box office. The sky is the limit for this film. Allu Arjun and the team have set new standards in massy entertainers, and very high expectations for the third part. Yes, the saga of Pushpa will continue. Don't miss Pushpa The Rule: Part Two at any chance."

Ganesh Aaglave of Firstpost gave 4/5 stars and wrote "On the whole, Pushpa 2 is bigger, grander and better as Allu Arjun is set to rule the box office with its swag." Neeshita Nyayapati of Hindustan Times gave a postive review and praised the film's music, cinematography, Allu Arjun's performance and said that "At the end of it all, Pushpa 2: The Rule is entertaining, makes you chuckle and also feel something for its titular character, even if not flawless and has a shallow message about women's safety. And when you don't notice a runtime as long as this one, that’s a win". Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Pushpa 2: The Rule is a sequel that surpasses its predecessor in scale, storytelling, and emotional depth. Sukumar’s vision, combined with Allu Arjun’s powerhouse performance, layered narrative, breathtaking visuals, and stellar ensemble cast, makes it a cinematic triumph that demands to be experienced on the big screen."

Rishil Jogani of Pinkvilla gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Pushpa 2: The Rule is a quintessential mass entertainer that will surely satisfy fans of the franchise. It delivers on the action, drama, and charisma that made the first part so much loved. Yes, the film struggles with pacing, convenience in its screenplay, and the lack of strong antagonists to keep the narrative thrilling." Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "The simplest and shortest review of Pushpa 2 would be: “Sarvam Pushpa Mayam. (transl. Everything is about "Pushpa")”" Janani K of India Today rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Compared to the first part, Pushpa 2 feels somewhat disjointed. The sequel focuses more on creating moments rather than building a coherent story".

Sajin Shrijith of The Week gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "A massive insult to intelligence and peelings". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated "Pushpa Part 2 goes hell for leather but large parts of the film are crushed under the weight of its own vaulting ambition". Arjun Menon of Rediff rated the film 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Pushpa 2 is a badly misjudged, doubtful sequel that can't capitalise on the wealth of the story world set up in the first film". Sanyukta Thakare of Mashable India gave the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Pushpa 2: The Rule does not add anything new to the barrage of similar south characters, nor the action showcased by the entertainment industry".

Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu said that barring a stunning ‘jatara’ sequence anchored by a superb Allu Arjun and a few face-offs, director Sukumar’s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ seems incoherent and incomplete. She praised the film's cinematography, music, production design and background score while criticized the runtime, weak writings of antagonists and the often-used trope of the threat of sexual violence against women.

On its opening day, the film grossed ₹280 crore worldwide, being the highest day-one grossing film ever in India, with ₹200 crore from the domestic market. Bollywood Hungama reported that the Hindi version has collected a nett amount of ₹72 crore on the opening day, in India. Pushpa 2: The Rule became the fastest film to reach ₹400 crore in just two days and ₹500 crore club in only three days. On its eighth day of release, the film entered in ₹1000 crore club.

In the United States, the film debuted at the number five position earning US$1,700,000 on its opening day and is projected to earn US$6,000,000 in its opening weekend. As per Deadline Hollywood, the four-day gross is estimated to be ₹590 crore ($70 million) in India and $20 million from the overseas markets, making its global debut grossing ₹762 crore ($90 million).

Pinkvilla reported that the film has grossed ₹1,004 crore worldwide in the first eight days, with ₹813 crore and ₹191 crore from domestic and international markets. The nine-day domestic gross collection is ₹855.25 crore. The ten-day domestic gross collection is ₹927 crore. The eleven-day domestic gross collection is ₹1,008.50 crore, thus, becoming the second highest-grossing film in India after Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017). The film collected a worldwide gross of ₹1,226 crore in its eleven-day run, with ₹1,009 and ₹217 crore (US$26 million) from domestic and international markets respectively. Box Office India reported that the film collected a worldwide gross of ₹1,274 crore in its thirteen-day run, with ₹1,054 crore and ₹220 crore from domestic and international markets respectively. In contrast, Business Standard reported that the film collected a worldwide gross of ₹1,414 crore in its twelve-day run according to Comscore. The domestic gross collection was ₹1,110 crore, in the first two weeks, with ₹288.25 crore from its home market (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana). The film has earned ₹1,290 crore domestically in 19 days, with a total worldwide gross of ₹1,570.92 crore, including ₹280 crore from international markets. On its 20th day, the film's net earnings in India alone hit ₹1,100 crore, with ₹700 crore coming from the Hindi version, making it the first film to reach this milestone.

On 24 November 2024, at the pre-release event in Chennai, composer Devi Sri Prasad blamed the producers for repeated complaints against him that he failed to deliver the background score and songs on time. He said that the producers have more complaints than love for him. Later at the event, producer Ravi Shankar denied the rift and mentioned that there are no issues, and that they are like a family. There were also reports that Thaman S, B. Ajaneesh Loknath and Sam C. S. were hired to compose the background score due to delays in delivering the score on time by Prasad. This controversy also came into light when Mythri Movie Makers, who are also the producers of the upcoming Good Bad Ugly (2025), replaced Prasad with G. V. Prakash Kumar. However, during the Hyderabad event Prasad ended the ongoing controversy with producers and thanked them wholeheartedly and highlighted the special bond between them. Later, Sam C. S. confirmed his involvement in the film's background score.

On 30 November 2024, an FIR was filed against Allu Arjun by Srinivas Goud for his comments during the Mumbai press event, where he (Allu Arjun) referred to his fans as an "army." Goud found this comparison disrespectful, arguing that using the term "army" in this context belittles the sacrifices made by the armed forces.

In December 2024, a petition demanding a ban on the film was filed in the Telangana High Court, as the film shows corruption, violence and illegal smuggling, however the plea was dismissed.

On 4 December 2024, a woman died while and her young son was critically injured after a stampede occurred during the screening of the film at the Sandhya movie theater in RTC X Roads, Hyderabad. A case was later filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on the film's unit, Allu Arjun, his security team, and the owner of the theatre. Allu Arjun was arrested by the Hyderabad City Police on 13 December 2024 over the said charges. However, a few hours later he was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court.

The film's post-credits scene showcased the continuation of the story with a cliffhanger and the title for the third part revealed as Pushpa 3: The Rampage.

• Pushpa 2: The Rule at IMDb
• Pushpa 2: The Rule at Bollywood Hungama