The editing choices for Pushpa-2's initial theatrical version made it a below-par product for the Southern markets and hence it missed the 2000 Cr mark.

I know they couldn't have gone for a 3hr 45min version for a widely hyped theatrical release as show counts would've severely gotten affected

But the choices of what scenes to retain vs what to take out is really surprising.

One common feedback from Telugu and other South Indian audience were the sudden and unexplained tonal shifts in the story. Most of these issues were addressed in the reloaded version on OTT.

Things like giving to a reason to why the opening sequence was in Japan, adding more layers and intelligence to FaFa's character making it a fight of equals rather than just making him a joker. And the confrontation with Jaali Reddy. Then there's the even more emotional plot point of Pushpa's chain that was snatched away from him in the first part.

So when the choice was taken to trim 25 mins of footage with these important scenes which add to the narrative, their reasoning was probably:

1) The biggest potential market of the movie was the Northern belt, most of whom have not watched the movie in theatre but consumed Pushpa content through social media and the subsequent OTT release. So they kind of treated Pushpa-2 as a standalone movie for the Northern audience and hence the choice to trim the Jaali Reddy and the locket related scenes, which are continuation of smaller plot points from the first part.

2) But they trimmed off important Shekawat scenes where he tactfully investigates the smuggling trail and lands up at Rameshwaram, catching Jakka Reddy red-handed and then cutting off Pushpa's source of hawala from Japan. Now, when these important scenes of hardly 4-5 mins getting cut instead of a song or some other elevation scene or the dragged Jathara sequence, you wonder what the intention was?

Did Sukunar treat the theatrical cut like a showcase of "BhAAi can really act", or did the star's team want it that way? I don't know.

But having those few scenes would've made the movie work much better in the Southern market and would've fetched better revenues in Kerala, TN and Karnataka. And the movie wouldn've grossed a 100-150 cr more at least, to take it closer to 2000Cr.

What do you think?