Synopsis:
Set in the late 90s, labourer Pushpa Raj decides to smuggle red sandalwood with his friend Kesava. He moves up the ranks in smuggler Konda Reddy's group while evading DSP Govindappa. Konda's brother Jaali hates Pushpa for getting more attention from his elder brother. Konda's boss, Srinu, entrusts Konda to keep his contraband of tonnes of sandalwood safe from the Police Department, and Pushpa is assigned to the task by the Reddy brothers, so that if anything happens to it, they can blame him in front of Srinu. Jaali intentionally sabotages Pushpa so he'll get caught by the police, but Pushpa and Kesava use their quick thinking to avoid getting caught. Pushpa finds out Srinu is scamming his workers and tells Konda, but he refuses to go up against the powerful Srinu.
Pushpa falls in love with Srivalli, a milk seller, and an engagement is arranged. During the ceremony, Pushpa's elder half-brother Mohan makes a scene, revealing Pushpa is illegitimate. In the ensuing scuffle, Pushpa's mother gets hurt, which motivates him to make his way up. He bypasses Srinu, and is able to get a higher profit for the wood that he agrees to split with Konda. Jaali discovers Srivalli's father is a mole for Govindappa; lusting after Srivalli, Jaali blackmails her to sleep with him to save her father. Srivalli tells Pushpa, who beats Jaali and leaves him paralysed. Jaali doesn't tell Konda who beat him, wanting to kill Pushpa himself, but Konda discovers the truth on his own.
Konda attempts to kill Pushpa, but they're attacked by Srinu's men and brother-in-law, Mogileesu, who kills Konda Reddy. Pushpa rescues Konda's younger brother Jakka, rekindling their partnership, and murders Mogileesu. MP Naidu arranges a truce between Pushpa and Srinu, but after discovering about the latter's scams, he appoints Pushpa to replace Srinu. As time goes by, Pushpa takes control of the entire syndicate.
Govindappa resigns, and Bhanwar Singh Shekawat takes charge. Pushpa offers a bribe to Shekawat, but Shekawat ridicules Pushpa due to arrogance. After this incident, Pushpa ostensibly turns meek and submissive towards Shekawat, but on the day of his wedding, Pushpa gets his revenge on Shekawat, revealing that he promised his mother he would stay safe and not get into trouble before his wedding day.
Pushpa forces Shekawat to strip down to his underwear while he also does the same, boasting that he derives his prestige and power from his own self, while Shekawat is nothing without his uniform and that without it, even his dog won't recognize him. Pushpa leaves to marry Srivalli, while a humiliated Shekawat walks home, where his dog fails to identify him, just like how Pushpa predicted. Enraged, Shekawat shoots and kills his dog, whilst also burning Pushpa's bribe money, swearing revenge. Pushpa, after tying the knot to Srivalli, tells her that his rule has just begun.
Cast:
- Allu Arjun as Molleti Pushpa Raj, a daily wage labourer who eventually manages the syndicate overthrowing Mangalam Srinu
- Fahadh Faasil as SP Bhanwar Singh Shekawat IPS, an egotistic police officer of rank SSP who is humiliated by Pushpa for insulting him and eventually swears revenge as retaliation
- Rashmika Mandanna as Srivalli, Pushpa's wife
- Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari as Kesava aka Mondelu, Pushpa's close ally who is associated to him in his every step
- Sunil as Mangalam Srinu, a repressive man who manages the syndicate and is eventually overthrown by Pushpa
- Rao Ramesh as MP Bhumireddy Siddappa Naidu, a politician who appoints Pushpa to manage the syndicate as Srinu's replacement
- Dhananjaya as Jaali Reddy; Konda Reddy and Jakka Reddy's younger brother who dislikes Pushpa for his popularity and ended up getting beaten up by him for blackmailing Srivalli
- Anasuya Bharadwaj as Dakshayani "Daksha", Srinu's wife who seeks to take revenge on Pushpa for her brother's death
- Ajay as Molleti Mohan Raj, Pushpa's elder half-brother who refuses to accept him
- Ajay Ghosh as Konda Reddy, Pushpa's former employer turned partner who is murdered by Mogileesu
- Shatru as DSP Govindappa, who seeks to expose the syndicate
- Shanmukh as Jakka Reddy, Konda Reddy's younger brother and Pushpa's partner
- Sritej as Molleti Dharma Raj, Pushpa's second elder half-brother
- Pavani Karanam as Pushpa's niece and Mohan's daughter
- Mime Gopi as Chennai Murugan, a smuggler
- Brahmaji as Sub-Inspector Kupparaj, Bhanwar's junior official
- Kalpalatha as Molleti Parvatamma, Pushpa's mother who is condemned by the society for having a son out of wedlock
- Dayanand Reddy as Muniratnam, Srivalli's father who is threatened by Govindappa to be his mole in the syndicate
- Raj Tirandasu as Mogileesu, Srinu's brother-in-law who is killed by Pushpa
- Samantha in a guest appearance in the item number "Oo Antava Oo Oo Antava"
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