Allu Arjun's Pushpa The Rise which was released amidst huge expectations got a mixed talk from all quarters. While everyone was unanimous that Icon Star Allu Arjun came with an iconic performance as sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj, be it the dialogue delivery, physique, mannerisms, expressions, emotions, and screen presence, they felt that the story was wafer-thin.
It is known that director Sukumar was supposed to do a project with Mahesh Babu and when Mahesh Babu delayed giving a green signal to the project, Sukumar approached Allu Arjun who readily gave the green signal. At that time rumors spread that Sukumar came with a story on red sandalwood smuggling and Mahesh refused to undergo image makeover for the role of the smuggler.
Now the question is whether Mahesh Babu rejected the Pushpa only due to the image change over or did he reject the film due to a weak story. While Mahesh Babu's fans claim that Mahesh Babu rejected the film due to a weak storyline, Allu Arjun's fans say, Mahesh, rejected the film as he was scared of experimenting in form of physical and psychological transformation.