'Icon Star' Allu Arjun, as he likes to be fondly called, is establishing himself independently, stepping away from the 'mega' image.
Although talk about this has been circulating for quite some time, recent developments have made it quite clear.
Allu Arjun supported his YCP friend who contested from Nandyal and campaigned for him personally.
He did not step into Pithapuram to support his family member Pawan Kalyan, which has triggered differences between the Allu and Mega camps.
Following Pawan Kalyan's victory, the entire Mega family was seen celebrating, except for the Allu family, including Aravind, Arjun and Sirish, who were notably absent from any pictures or videos of the celebrations.
Furthermore, Saidharam Tej unfollowed both Allu Arjun and Sneha Reddy on Instagram, further escalating the tension between the two families.
With all this tension, Allu Arjun's film "Pushpa 2 - The Rule" appears to be clashing with Mega hero Ram Charan's "Game Changer" or Megastar Chiranjeevi's "Viswambhara."
Let us delve into the details.
Sources mention that Allu Arjun, Sukumar, and Mythri are considering multiple release dates, including Dussehra 2024, December 2024, and Sankranthi 2025. Given the current pace, Pushpa 2 will likely arrive around Christmas.
Interestingly, Ram Charan's "Game Changer" is also eyeing a Christmas 2024 release. The project was initially scheduled for October but faced multiple delays.
Although Pushpa 2 was initially set for an August 15 release, it is not happening due to unfinished work on Sukumar's side. Even a Dussehra release seems doubtful given the incomplete status of the project.
Therefore, the next possible release time is the Christmas season in December, the same month "Pushpa 1" was released.
If Sukumar or the producers miss this date, the next possible release time would be Sankranthi, which coincides with Chiranjeevi's "Vishwambhara."
If Allu Arjun misses the August 15 and October release dates for "Pushpa 2," he will have to compete with either Ram Charan or Chiranjeevi, leading to a Mega-Allu clash at the box office and on social media.
This situation can be considered a good sign business-wise.
Earlier, "Waltair Veerayya" and "Veera Simha Reddy" were forcibly released in the same Sankranthi season, leading to a fan war that ultimately boosted the collections of both films due to the competitive spirit of Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna's fans.
We might anticipate something similar between Mega and Allu fans, which could contribute positively to the business of both heroes.
Let us hope for the best even in the worst case, in the interest of film industry.