Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic featured in Allu Arjun’s iconic Pushpa avatar in a shoutout post shared by the organisers of The Wimbledon Championships on Tuesday, hours before the tournament’s opening match in London on July 1.
The animated poster shows Djokovic striking Pushpa Raj’s signature chin-rub pose. “Rukega bhi nahi aur jhukega bhi nahi (Will neither stop nor stoop),” wrote the organisers alongside the poster, echoing Allu Arjun’s dialogue from the actioner.
Fans immediately flooded the comments section of the Instagram post. “Best. Post. Ever. As a Telugu tennis player, I’m over the moon,” wrote Indian Tennis player Sowjanya Bavisetti.
The makers of the Sukumar directorial also reacted to the post. “Jhukega nahi,” reads their comment. “Allu Arjun's global reach,” remarked a social media user, celebrating the actor’s international fandom.
Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna’s blockbuster Pushpa 2: The Rule emerged as India’s biggest opener of all time last year, breaching the Rs 180-crore-mark at the domestic box office on Day 1. Pushpa 2 earned Rs 1,232.75 crore nett at the domestic box office by its 55th day in the theatres, according to industry data-tracking site Sacnilk. Also starring Fahadh Faasil, Pushpa 2 was released theatrically on December 5, 2024.
A sequel to Allu’s 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, Pushpa 2 follows sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj’s exploits after he gains control of the racket. Allu Arjun’s titular character operates at a global level in the sequel.
Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil return in Pushpa 2 as Srivalli and SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, respectively. As per media reports, Allu is gearing up for the third film in the franchise, Pushpa 3: The Rampage.
While Pushpa: The Rise is available to stream on Prime Video, Pushpa: The Rule is available on Netflix.
Djokovic defeated France’s world number 41 Alexandre Muller in a late-night Centre Court match on July 1.