In what could be termed as an anti-climax, Allu Arjun, star of 'Pushpa: The Rise' made it amply clear that the supposed nude confrontation scene between the protagonist and antagonist in the movie's climax was never there in the first place.
"It was never on the cards," Allu Arjun told IANS in very unambiguous terms.
The issue has its roots in a media interaction where the movie's director Sukumar had been quoted as stating that the climax scene of 'Pushpa' was originally envisaged as a face-off between actors Allu Arjun and Fahad Faasil, in the nude.
But wary of the Telugu audience's sensitivities, the makers had apparently backed off. Speaking to IANS, Sukumar acknowledged that he had indeed made a statement on those lines. But in hindsight, it appears to have been a classic case of 'lost in translation'.
Speaking to IANS, Sukumar said he had actually meant to explain the creative origins of the scene in which emotions are supposed to be strung high and nerves on edge.
"It was something that dropped out in a moment of enthusiasm as a first thought. When giving so many interviews, sometimes something like this rolls out unintentionally. What I wanted to say about the naked emotions at play was about the creative origins behind the scene. I tried to explain that but it came out differently," he told IANS.
"Everyone is trolling me." he ended with a rueful smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Allu Arjun made it amply clear about his stance on acting out such a scene if the director is okay canning it.
"No, no. We're all commercial films actors. We want people to come and enjoy the film. I do mass films. I'm a mass hero," he laughed and said in response to the question.
'Pushpa: The Rise' released on December 17, to Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi audiences. The film stars Allu Arjun, with Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, and Dhananjay essaying important roles.
The film directed by Sukumar revolves around red sandalwood smuggling activities in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. The movie has successfully garnered audiences in most of the markets it was screened in.