Garikapati Narasimha Rao, Padma Shri award-winning literary performer, in a recent interview criticised Allu Arjun's latest blockbuster, Pushpa. The movie doesn’t make any sense and it sets a dangerous precedent. "It glorifies a smuggler and depicts him as a hero. He keeps saying 'thaggede le(I won't heed)' whenever he hits someone. He is hailed as a mass hero by fans. If I ever meet the director or the actor, I will confront them about the film," he said.

He also added, "If someone hits a random person on the road and says, thaggede le, will they (filmmakers) take responsibility? Many such films promote utter nonsense in the name of entertainment. They normalise such behaviour.”

Garikapati Narasimha Rao is a Telugu avadhani (literary performer) from Andhra Pradesh. He is also a popular Telugu TV personality, who makes speeches about Hindu literature like Ramayanam and Mahabharatam. He won the Padma Shri award from the government in 2022. 

Directed by Sukumar Pushpa: The Rise, based on red sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj, follows the journey of a daily labourer, who turns out to be a smuggling kingpin.

The film also star Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in lead roles. A sequel to the film, titled Pushpa: The Rule, is slated to release in December 2022.