Allu Arjun says his signature Pushpa walk was instruction from director Sukumar

Allu Arjun is riding a wave right now, since the massive success of his last release Pushpa: The Rise.

The film broke several box office records when it released late last year and then got a second wind again when it had its OTT release a month later. Pushpa's gait and mannerisms became so popular that even celebs began copying them. In a new interview, the actor himself spoke about the inspiration behind them. Also read: Allu Arjun reacts as Ravindra Jadeja recreates his Pushpa look

Pushpa: The Rise, directed by Sukumar, also starred Rashmika Mandanna, and featured Fahadh Faasil in an extended cameo. The film also included a special dance number by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, the first time in her career that the actor did so.

Allu Arjun recently appeared on the cover of India Today. In an interaction with the magazine, he spoke about the national success of his film Pushpa: The Rise. The film made ₹365 crore, which included a haul of over ₹100 crore by the Hindi-dubbed version. Talking about the film's national appeal, Arjun said, "The idea wasn't to impress the whole country but it was a great by-product. If your local audience is impressed, then automatically the energy transfers and the aura spreads."

But the box office wasn't the only place where Pushpa made an impact. The film's lines and Allu Arjun's walk and style became pop culture phenomena across India. Talking about his signature walk, the actor revealed that it was an instruction from the film's director. "Sukumar Garu said, I don't know what you do, but everybody has to walk like you," he said, following which he came up with the sloping shoulder body language, as he felt it would be "easily imitable".

Arjun will be seen reprising his iconic role in the sequel--Pushpa: The Rule, which will release later this year. The film will see Rashmika and Fahadh also reprising their roles. Reports have claimed Vijay Sethupathi is also in the film, but this hasn't been confirmed so far.