Allu Arjun’s most-awaited Pushpa 2: The Rule is undergoing a last-minute crew change. Peepingmoon.com has exclusively learned that Pushpa 2’s editor, Antony Ruben, has backed out of the film due to date issues. 

Antony Ruben, known for editing blockbusters like Pushpa: The Rise, Jawan, Bigil, Mersal, and Vivegam, among others, is said to have left the film amicably after he could not allocate time in his hectic schedule. Ruben is currently heavily involved with Atlee’s Varun Dhawan starrer Baby John, which he's not only editing but also associate producing. He has committed to one more film, making it difficult for him to find dates for the Pushpa sequel, releasing in August this year. 

Following Ruben’s departure, Sukumar and Allu Arjun have begun discussions with National Award-winning Naveen Nooli to take over editing duties. Naveen has previously worked with Sukumar on Jr. NTR’s Nannaku Prematho (2016) and Ram Charan starrer Rangasthalam (2018), and has also edited Allu Arjun's 2020 Telugu blockbuster, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. His upcoming big-ticket release is Pawan Kalyan's Telugu gangster thriller, OG, scheduled for release in September this year. 

The crew shift, however, is not going to affect Pushpa 2’s Independence Day release, as per sources familiar with the development. The movie is on track and has enough time for a replacement editor to finish it on time. The Mythri Movie Makers production also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in lead roles.