Ahead of Pushpa 2 release, Allu Arjun reveals his secret ambition: 'It pained me...'

Telugu superstar Allu Arjun created history by becoming the first Telugu actor to win a National Award in the Best Actor category for his performance in Pushpa: The Rise (2021). During his appearance on Unstoppable with NBK, Allu Arjun opened up about his ambitions, saying the prestigious honour had been a secret goal since he signed the film with director Sukumar.

"When I checked the list of National Award winners, I didn’t find a single Telugu actor. There was a special mention for Nagarjuna sir, but no main award for a Telugu actor. That deeply impacted me. It pained me to realize that despite producing generations of great actors, Telugu cinema didn’t get that recognition. I wanted to achieve this for the industry," he shared.

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Allu Arjun expressed gratitude to Sukumar, revealing that the director supported his ambition at every step. "The first thing I told Sukumar after the narration was, ‘More than the film’s commercial success, I want this performance to win a National Award.’ Sukumar promised to do his best. After every shot, he would watch the monitor and say, ‘Darling, if you want the National Award, this level isn’t enough.’ Every discussion revolved around that goal," he added.

The actor noted that his win was dedicated to all Telugu actors who had long been overlooked by the jury, which he felt had a bias against commercial cinema. "I wanted to bring the dignity to the commercial movies, and earn public respect," he said.

In addition to his National Award win, Pushpa: The Rise also propelled Allu Arjun to pan-India stardom. With Pushpa 2 poised as one of the most anticipated films of the year, particularly in the Hindi market, the excitement surrounding the franchise is at an all-time high.

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