There has been debate all around on the question of why Allu Arjun chose Patna for the trailer launch of his upcoming much talked about film Pushpa 2. Whereas in her trailer Pushpa calls herself international and also a big brand. Pictures and videos of the crowd gathered at the trailer launch in Patna Gandhi Maidan are being shared on social media with interesting comments. Historic crowd of Bihar people in the historic Gandhi Maidan. He was basically a cinema lover. He was crazy about Allu Arjun. Pushpa would not bow down… was about to die on the dialogue. He was a fan of his unique style of waving his palm under his beard. This historic opportunity had come for those busy Bihari youth who are ready to dance on the style of Khesari and Nirahua at any time. Open sky of Gandhi Maidan and free rain of fun. Loot if you can. Today Srivalli has also come with Pushpa. Icing on the cake, such a season does not come again and again.
Believe me, most of them were common spectators. Which was brilliantly handled by Pushpa's actors - Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna. Allu started his speech in Hindi - 'My salute to the holy land of Bihar'. So Rashmika adopted Bhojpuri - 'How are you, all is well!' Then laughter! Had caught the Bhojpuri accent. Allu also apologized for the bad Hindi, but little did he know that even the ordinary viewers of Bihar are not able to speak that pure Hindi. Allu later switched from Hindi to English but Rashmika took the path from Bhojpuri to Hindi. Rashmika's bright smile was driving Bihari youth crazy.
Now how can we see this huge performance by limiting it to the promotion of an upcoming film. In fact, this was a big attack on Bombay film people in the name of publicity. Pushpa's team tapped into the open-air cinema watching class in Patna, which has been neglected for the last two decades. They were thrown out of the multiplex. And this class is – the general audience. The same common audience who once upon a time used to buy tickets at cheap rates and go to watch films at the front stalls and make the heroes superstars with their whistles and applause. But in Patna there was a gathering of both mass and class spectators.
Around the millennium year 2000, as the network of multiplexes expanded first in big cities and then in small towns, the common audience became deprived of watching films and the days of superstars were over. In today's era of multiplexes, even Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan would hardly have got the huge success that they once got due to the craze of the common audience for single screen. In the nineties, Salman and Shahrukh also became young after getting the love of the general audience. Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna were happy after finding the same love once again at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. In his address, he repeatedly appealed to the love of the people of Patna.
Without considering how the changes in theaters and Hindi film making techniques and content in the metros affected the business of the film industry, Bombay filmmakers kept making films as per the mood of the popcorn-loving audience. Bombay filmmakers catered more to the audience who could afford to come to multiplexes and spend more. As a result, the number of viewers decreased and the films sank. If we talk about post-Covid, then in between, the audience went to the theater to watch those Hindi films which had the potential to shake the mood of the masses, like The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, Jawan, Pathan, Danki, Stree 2 or Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Like some movies.
On the other hand, the filmmakers of the South never left the consciousness with which the common audience used to go to the cinema hall to watch films. It is worth noting that South Indian filmmakers are more advanced than Bombay filmmakers, but they never played with the sensibilities of the mass audience. While capturing the class audience, it also always retained the elements that appeal to the masses. Low budget films also appeal to the general public. Even today, when any film of Rajinikanth comes, it becomes a holiday without Holi, Diwali, Eid, New Year and the audience of every section goes to the cinema hall. That tradition of Rajinikanth was carried forward by the new generation stars. Of course, names of stars like Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Jr. NTR, Ram Charan, Pawan Kalyan can be taken among them.
Obviously these stars have now reached the national level. His dubbed films are being watched widely across the country in all languages including Hindi. In the last decade, films like Baahubali, KGF, Ponnium Selvam, RRR or Pushpa were liked by every section of the society at pan India level. The general audience of the Hindi belt saw the X factor in these as compared to Bombay films. He showed an Indian Hollywood which has both Indianness and global cinematism. Whereas Bombay filmmakers are famous for cooking khichdi in their products. Sometimes, average budget movies with content like 12th Fail or Missing Ladies are liked or those in which multi-stars participate with all their might, then the audience goes to the cinema hall, otherwise they prefer watching South Cinema or Hollywood movies. In such a situation, this attack of Allu Arjun from Patna is going to alert the Bollywood people. Bollywood should focus on caring for the emotions and sensibilities of the common audience, otherwise how will they be able to reach their films to the common audience?
