Ever since Kantara Chapter 1 released, Rishab Shetty has been in the spotlight for his powerful performance. On social media, people compare him with Allu Arjun in Pushpa 2. The characters and stories are completely different, yet comparisons continue mainly because of Allu Arjun's Jatara sequence and Rappa Rappa fight in Pushpa 2 and Shetty's trance sequences in Kantara.
If we try to judge who did better, it doesn't really make sense. This isn't about diplomacy, but about the nature of their performances.
In Pushpa 2, Allu Arjun carries the same body language throughout every scene, delivering a lifetime performance in a fully character-driven film, not just in the jatara sequence. Rishab Shetty on the other hand doesn't stick to a single body language across Kantara Chapter 1 like in a character-driven film. Instead, in multiple key episodes his performance rises to a god-like level.
So comparing who did better isn't meaningful. Both gave career-defining performances. These roles will stay with audiences for years, no matter how many films they act in later. Comparing them only reduces the impact of what each achieved in their own space.