Mumbai: Before ‘Pushpa’ catapulted Allu Arjun to pan-India fame, he was already a celebrated superstar in Telugu cinema.
Taking on ‘Pushpa’, however, was a bold move, particularly given his transformation for the much-discussed Gangamma Thalli Jathara sequence, in which he donned a saree and portrayed a woman.
Looking back at the sequence, Arjun has now described the experience as the “most alpha thing” he has ever done in his life.
The Gangamma Thalli Jathara sequence in ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ saw Arjun’s character, Pushpa Raj, wear a saree to honour the female deity during the festival. The elaborate sequence combined a choreographed dance with an intense fight, creating one of the film’s most striking moments.
The scene received widespread praise from fans and critics, with Arjun’s saree-clad appearance becoming one of the most talked-about aspects of the film.
Speaking about the sequence in an interview with Forbes India, the actor said, “I would say the most alpha thing I’ve ever done is to play a woman.”
The Gangamma Thalli Jathara is a traditional festival celebrated in Tirupati. According to the Ministry of Tourism’s official website, Gangamma is worshipped as the younger sister of Lord Sri Venkateswara.
The annual Jathara is primarily observed by Tirupati’s native residents and is held during the first fortnight of May every year.
In 2025, Arjun revealed that he was initially nervous about performing the sequence and wearing a saree for 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.”
‘Pushpa 2’, which earned over ₹1,800 crore worldwide, remains Allu Arjun’s most recent release.
The film is currently among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, following the success of its predecessor, ‘Pushpa: The Rise’.
Arjun will next be seen in Atlee’s ‘Raaka’, opposite Deepika Padukone. The film is scheduled to release in theatres in 2027.
