How Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 became 27-case gangster’s ‘final act’?

Fueled by his love for Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2, a notorious gangster who had been evading capture for ten months was ultimately nabbed by Nagpur police inside a cineplex while watching the film.
As reported by the Times of India, Vishal Mehshram, with 27 offences against him, including two murders, was also wanted for MD drug peddling. A gangster known for assaulting cops, he had been booked twice under MCOCA. 

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TOI cited sources that Meshram admired Allu Arjun's character and aspired to rise to the protagonist's stature. The police caught wind of his fascination with Pushpa 2 and planned to capture him at the cinema hall.

Officers managed to obtain the registration plate of his vehicle, a Thar, and the operation unfolded at the multiplex. First, police deflated the vehicle's tyre; then teams spread out across various locations inside the hall. After midnight, they moved in quietly and successfully apprehended him, said the report.

"Two cops grabbed him from behind while others pounced upon him from the sides and lifted him from his seat, giving no chance to fight back," added a policeman, reported Time of India.

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Meanwhile, Pushpa 2: The Rule”, a sequel to 2021’s blockbuster Telugu film “Pushpa: The Rise”, has become a runaway hit at the box office, shattering many records while earning ₹ ₹1,500 crore at the global box office, according to a year-end report by BookMyShow. 

The follow-up, which arrived in cinemas on December 5, was released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Malayalam languages.

Directed by Sukumar, the movie also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil. In the sequel, Arjun returns as labourer-turned-sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj, alongside Mandanna as Srivalli and Faasil as SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat.

(With inputs from agencies)