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Itllu Arjuna reached theatres on Friday, 13 November. It carries Nagarjuna’s backing as presenter and is the first production of What Next Entertainments. Venky Kudumula, the director of Chalo and Bheeshma, turns producer on it. Mahesh Uppala, until now known for Oka Chinna Family Story on streaming, wrote the script and directed; this is his first feature for cinemas. It introduces Aniesh as the hero, with Anaswara Rajan opposite him and Thaman S composing the songs and the score. The ticketing listing gives it a UA 16+ certificate and a running time of 2 hours 23 minutes. Few newcomers get this kind of backing: Jr NTR launched the trailer, and Akhil Akkineni and Ram Charan also lent a hand with the promotions. Our verdict: a likeable first film for its hero that works better as a love story than as a thriller. A wordless lead performance, a sparkling heroine and Thaman’s music keep it pleasant company; a familiar crime track and a weaker second half keep it ordinary.
Story and screenplay
Arjun (Aniesh) has never been able to speak. As a boy he lifted wallets alongside his father, landed in jail young, and has carried the tag of thief ever since; whenever something is stolen nearby, the police turn up at his door first. These days he gets by as a bike-taxi rider in Hyderabad and has quietly adored Keerthi (Anaswara Rajan) since they were children; she lives in his apartment block. Brought up under her mother’s strict rules, she is a fortnight away from leaving for America, so time is running out for him to say what he feels. Running parallel is a far bigger affair: a pen drive holding the details of a hawala transfer worth a thousand crore, money that belongs to the gangster Peddanna (Mukesh Rishi), goes missing, and his men set out to recover it at any cost. How the two stories collide is for the film to reveal.
A hero who cannot speak is the film’s one fresh idea, and it gives new texture to a chase that is otherwise very familiar. The first half makes good use of it. The romance is light and youthful, the comedy mostly hits the mark, and the money plot keeps cutting in often enough to sustain curiosity until a well-timed turn at the interval. The opening takes a while to settle, but the stretch before the break is the stronger one. After the interval the film loses some of its grip. A few twists still hold the interest, but the chase after the missing drive follows well-worn lines, the villain’s side of the story feels like something from an older era, and the duels between Arjun and the gang lack the clever moves the setup promises. In its final thirty minutes the film recovers some energy with a loud action stretch, though the resolution arrives far too easily.
Direction
Mahesh Uppala does not smother his newcomer in heroics. Fights appear only where the plot demands them, Arjun is allowed to be vulnerable, and the songs are placed so that they do not stall the story. After the interval, though, he leans on action blocks, convenient breaks and leaps of logic, when a hero written as quick-witted should have been outsmarting the gang. The few scenes in which Arjun gets through to people with signs, whistles and hummed tunes show how much more the idea had to give. The comedy, led by Vennela Kishore with Brahmaji and Getup Srinu, works for the most part, especially early on, even if not every gag lands.
Performances
Aniesh picks a part that many seasoned actors would think twice about for a first film, and he comes through. With no lines to lean on, he relies on his eyes, face and posture to convey longing, hurt and mischief, and before long Arjun’s silence stops feeling like a gimmick. He is relaxed in the dance numbers and convincing in the fights, and as an opening act it is an assured one. Anaswara Rajan is the film’s spark. Keerthi is a bubbly, slightly naive girl, and she plays her with energy and sure comic instincts; her scenes with Aniesh have an easy warmth, and her part is nearly as large as his. Mukesh Rishi is wasted on a villain whose menace exists mostly on paper, while Elango Kumaravel and Kalaiyarasan make more of their roles. Raghu Babu, Brahmaji, Getup Srinu and Vennela Kishore deliver what is expected of them.
Music and craft
Thaman’s music ranks among the film’s main assets. In a story whose hero never speaks, the music has to carry much of the emotion, and his melodies, popular well before release, and a rousing background score do that job, propping up scenes that the writing leaves thin. Not every passage of the score sounds new, though, and the climax leans on sounds from his recent work. Raja Mahadhevan’s camera gives the romantic portions a bright, colourful freshness, and the money spent on the production shows on screen. Koti K’s editing should have been firmer after the interval, where several scenes repeat themselves; ten minutes or so could have gone.
Verdict
The silent hero hints at a bolder film than the one Itllu Arjuna actually is; underneath, it is a familiar money chase wrapped around a love story. Its flaws are hard to ignore: a crime plot with nothing new, a villain with no menace, a second half that drags and an ending that comes too easily. It is made with care, though. It never turns crude, and it introduces a newcomer who can hold the screen without saying a word. Go for the romance, the songs and the newcomer, keep your hopes for the thriller modest, and it is worth a single watch.
