Pushpa 2: The Rule

What’s it about?

In Pushpa 2: The Rule, Pushpa Raj has cemented his place as a leader in the dangerous world of sandalwood smuggling, with tensions rising in his rivalry against police officer Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat.

The facts

• Directed by Sukumar
• Stars Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil
• Telugu language with English subtitles
• Runtime: 198 minutes

Why did it get this rating?

This film was classified by Te Mana Whakaatu, Classification Office. You can find out more about classification process and ratings here.

Violence

Pushpa 2 contains frequent violence that gets worse as the film goes on, ramping up significantly in the second half of the film. Most of the violence happens during fight sequences, which feature weapons like a sickle, spears, axes and guns, and have a lot of slow motion and other effects.

Some of the strongest violence includes:

• A character who is tied up at his hands and feet uses his mouth to bite multiple people in the neck and arm. You can sometime hear a crunching noise as he bites down, and his mouth and teeth are shown bloodied afterwards.
• A forked spear is shoved through a character’s torso and then lifted upright so the body slides down it.
• The same spear is thrown across the room and goes through a different character’s torso, pinning them to the wall.
• A number of characters are stabbed in the stomach, neck and groin with a sickle. One character’s neck is sliced three times, with the wounds and blood shown in a close up shot, and the noise can be heard too.
• A character is hit over the face with a wooden bat. There is some blood spray, and his face is shown dripping with blood for a while afterwards.
• A bloodied leg flies towards the camera after being cut off
• A character's arm is twisted and shoved over their back. Bone cracking noises are heard.
• At the beginning of the film, a character takes on a large group of people, punching, kicking and throwing them. There’s no blood shown in this sequence.

Sexual violence themes

The film includes sexual violence threats and depictions of sexual violence, although the depictions are not graphic. In one scene, a group of men at a festival joke about stripping her and push her around until another character intervenes and fights them off. Later, she is kidnapped and held for ransom by the same men, including one man who has just been released from prison on rape charges. They shove her, pull at her hair and clothes, and expose parts of her body while making degrading comments. These moments may be upsetting, especially for viewers with similar experiences.

Helplines:

The sexual violence could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Watch Guide - Pushpa 2: The Rule (Blog)
• Pushpa: The Rise (Content Breakdown)
• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau? (Blog)