Allu Arjun opened up about playing a woman and wearing saree in Pushpa 2.
In the Gangamma Jathara sequence, the actor wore a saree, jewellery, makeup and painted his body in blue.
He called it the "most alpha thing" he has done playing a woman.
Allu Arjun achieved success with Pushpa franchise and was praised for appearing in a saree in the second part of the film. The actor donned a saree for the Gangamma Jathara sequence in Pushpa 2. In an interview, the actor said playing a woman in the film was the most alpha thing he has ever done.
Allu Arjun on box office success
During a conversation with Forbes India for its Showstoppers 2026 edition, Allu Arjun said with Pushpa's success he has got inspiration to take Indian cinema to another level.
While opening up about stardom vs content debate, the actor said, “Average content doesn't fly anymore. So, the key is to deliver great content.”
On how he handles box-office pressure, Allu Arjun said, “Pressure is a privilege. Very few people in the country have that privilege. So, pressure is a blessing.”
Allu Arjun on playing a woman in Pushpa 2
Allu Arjun's Gangamma Jathara sequence in Pushpa 2 was part of the ritual linked to the worship of Gangamma Thalli, a local goddess in the Tirupati region, where men are dressed as women.
The actor wore a saree, jewellery, makeup and painted his body in blue.
“I would say the most alpha thing I’ve ever done is to play a woman,” he said.
Earlier, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said, “First, there was fear, and then there was exploration. And then after a point, we knew this is going to be the USP of the film as an actor. I knew it is a challenging thing for me as an actor. If I do this, I will walk away with a huge—how do I say—with a great name. The only thing that Sukumar garu (sir) and I thought was that even if he's dressed in a saree, he has to look very, very macho; the alpha-ness should not be lost.”
Allu Arjun's upcoming projects
His next is Atlee's Raaka, which also stars Deepika Padukone in the female lead role. It is eyeing a December 2027 release.
