Siddharth dismisses massive crowds for Pushpa 2, comparing them to 'JCB' enthusiasts

Allu Arjun's film Pushpa 2 is shattering box office records, on its way to becoming the fastest movie to gross ₹1000 crore. Meanwhile, actor Siddharth's remarks about the film have stirred up conversation. In a recent interview, Siddharth was asked about the enormous crowd at the Pushpa 2 trailer launch in Patna, Bihar. His response, however, downplayed the significance of the turnout.

Crowd Not Impressive?

Speaking with Tamil YouTuber Madan Gowri, Siddharth remarked, "That's all marketing. It’s not a big deal to gather a crowd in India. You bring a JCB for construction and crowds will gather automatically. So, it’s not a big deal getting a crowd in Bihar. They [Pushpa 2] had a song and a film, so okay. In India, there's no connection between gathering a large crowd and quality. If that was the case, then all the political parties would be winning. In our days, these crowds used to be about getting biryani and a quarter packet (alcohol)."

Pushpa 2 Event Chaos

The Pushpa 2 trailer launch event on November 17 at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan saw a massive turnout. Actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna were present, and the crowd's enthusiasm led to chaos. A section of the crowd crossed barricades and hurled shoes and slippers when prevented from getting closer to the stars.

Rajeev Mishra, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Patna, clarified that the police did not resort to lathi charge, as some media reports claimed. "Only a group of people who had come to watch the event and tried to cross the barricade were removed. An adequate number of security personnel were deployed at Gandhi Maidan," Mishra said.

Life After Marriage

When asked about life after marrying actor Aditi Rao Hydari, Siddharth shared, "We are still two working actors in two different cities. We have three homes in three cities and whenever we get the time, we are together. So, it's the same as before marriage. We are trying our best to spend as much time together." He also mentioned having no regrets and feeling "super privileged."

Staying Away from Politics

Siddharth, who has chosen to quit X (formerly Twitter) and refrain from commenting on politics, explained, "I will only talk about cinema. I want to spend the rest of my life focusing on my work. I don’t want to be known as an activist; I don’t want to be known as a philanthropist; I don’t want to be known as a brave guy."

Industry Insights

Discussing the film industry's current state, Siddharth noted, "We have less than a four per cent success rate in the industry. Although the government clubs our industry with the gambling industry, for us, this is our job, our business. I have to know the market when I am investing so much money."

Miss You vs. Pushpa 2

During a press meet for his upcoming film Miss You, Siddharth was asked if he is nervous about his film being overshadowed by Pushpa 2. Originally set to release on November 29, Miss You was postponed to December 13.

"There are many things that need to happen if my movie is to be in theatres in the second week. The first of them is that my film should be good and liked by the audience," Siddharth stated. He added, "About the next movie, they should be worried, and that is not my problem. If the film is good, it will be in theatres. Good cinema cannot be removed from theatres, at least not in this era where social media awareness is big."