‘Pushpa’: ‘Uncomfortable’ romantic scene stands deleted

The ax has fallen on a particular scene in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’. In the second half, as Srivalli starts reciprocating her feelings to Pushpa Raj, we see the latter touching the former’s chest in privacy while talking to someone on phone. The hero makes it look like a genuine mistake. But Srivalli is not in doubt that he is doing it consciously. Described as the “tiffin” scene on the Internet, it has been deleted because the distributors are believed to have conveyed to the makers that the scene might make the family audience squirm in their seats.

The scene has sparked a conversation on social media. Some are saying that Pushpa’s behaviour is creepy. Others are pointing out that Srivalli actually likes it, as the subsequent scene shows.

Director Sukumar didn’t find it fit to be chopped off before the release despite the run-time being 179 minutes. Perhaps, he felt that there should be place for romance in a serious, action-heavy film.