First Take | Pushpa: The Rise to Kurup, why do we make films about criminals and sociopaths?
FirstpostI feel sorry for those who get entertained by the endless surge of villainy and the tiresome torrent of tyranny that is unleashed by the volley of unscrupulous villains with sundry mafia-like agendas. Whereas Rahim plays Sobhraj as calculating and cold-blooded, Salmaan’s Kurup is spontaneous and cute, as though the real Kurup became what he was only so that one day, Salmaan would play him on screen. Now, it all seems way too gruff, grisly, and old-world to be forgiven as mere ’entertainment.’ I feel sorry for those who get entertained by the endless surge of villainy and the tiresome torrent of tyranny that is unleashed by the volley of unscrupulous villains with sundry mafia-like agendas. Pushpa: The Rise frequently has us scratching our heads in disbelief, stretching all incredulity beyond breaking point to show the loutish hero making his way up the crime syndicate with the kind of street wisdom that would not fool a child from a primary school, let alone all these hardened sadistic criminals, who do not just threaten to blow off their enemies’ heads, they go right ahead and do the dirty deed.