Allu Arjun says wearing a saree and 'playing a woman' in Pushpa 2 is the 'most alpha thing' he has done | Hindustan Times

Before Pushpa turned him into a pan-India phenomenon, Allu Arjun was already a superstar in Telugu cinema. So, it was considered a gamble for him to bet on something like Pushpa, particularly when he played boldly with the much-talked-about Gangamma Thalli Jathara sequence. Now, in a new interview, Arjun has called donning the saree for that scene the ‘most alpha thing’ he has ever done in his life.Allu Arjun on wearing a saree in Pushpa 2The Gangamma Thalli Jathara sequence in Pushpa 2: The Rule saw Arjun’s character Pushpa Raj wearing a saree in honour of the female deity for the festival sequence. The actor even performed a choreographed dance, mixed with a fight scene. The entire sequence earned praise from fans and even critics. Arjun’s look, in particular, was praised. In an interview with Forbes India, the actor referred to the scene and said, “I would say the most alpha thing I've ever done is to play a woman.” The Gangamma Thalli Jathara is traditionally celebrated in Tirupati. According to the official website of the Ministry of Tourism, Gangamma is worshipped as the younger sister of Lord Sri Venkateswara. The festival is generally observed by native residents of Tirupati. The Jatara is an annual festival, which is celebrated in the first fortnight of May every year.In 2025, Arjun admitted that he was initially scared to do the sequence and wear a saree in it. Recalling his conversation with director Sukumar, Arjun told The Hollywood Reporter India: “When he initially told me, I was scared. Yeah, that was the first reaction. We had finished a very macho photoshoot, and he said, ‘It’s not working.’ Then he said, ‘I want you to wear a sari, dress like a lady.’ We started doing sketches. And then we could see it. And I started buying into the idea, because there’s always a fear in the beginning. 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. Only one thing that Sukumar garu (sir) and I thought was that even if he’s dressed in a sari, he has to look very, very macho, the alpha-ness should not be lost.” Allu Arjun’s upcoming workPushpa 2, which grossed over ₹1800 crore worldwide, was Arjun’s last release, two years ago. The film remains the second-highest-grossing Indian film ever, behind only Dangal, and ahead of Baahubali 2 and Dhurandhar 2. The actor will be next seen in Atlee’s Raaka, opposite Deepika Padukone. The film will release in theatres in 2027.