Arjun Reddy

Worth the wait.

I've been meaning to watch since release, and even now got there on insistence of a friend who actually shared his amazon prime account saying 'inka nee excuses chaalu, watch'. Thanks Kiran.

Raw, real and honest are what comes to mind. What could happen if people were allowed to be themselves. And we have Arjun Reddy.  A guy who knows his mind, doesn't give an eff... 

Arjun lives that role, he's smart, he's tough, not easy to be with, you can fear him, be angry with him....but you can't not love him. There's that level of honesty there. An aspirational space for most.

I read that there were women activists who demanded a ban on the film. That's the typical hypocritical response representative of society. One that says....'how dare you not conform, how dare you be you'

It's hats off to Sandeep Vanga for bringing something so raw, and core, onto screen, and in the telugu industry at that, and of course to Vijay Devarakonda for being Arjun Reddy. Shalini Pandey, as Preethi his love interest was good in her role, though I wished they'd developed her character with more depth too. Deserving special mention is Shiva (Rahul) who does a brilliant job as friend, and even his character and all that he goes through in the process of understanding and standing by his friend no matter what. Lovely.

The dialogues were gut level and fit the telangana dialect well, (no fake polish of respect and hospitality that the andhra telugu seems to naturally demand) and were delivered beautifully. The music was wonderful too.

Story wise, it's about this guy who is a brilliant medico, good at sport, has anger issues.....falls in love, love goes wrong....he loses control over his life........and then the trigger that acts as wake up call....what leads to his redemption. 

What also stood out for me is how non judgmental and unapologetic a space the movie enabled....for each character, each with their own flaws and shades of gray. An acceptance of perspective without  the usual self righteousness and preachiness we are so surrounded with.....in our movies as well.

What we're used to...anything overdone needs to be contained, anything beyond accepted frame is a transgression. And here we have Arjun overdoing everything, topping in class, dadagiri in college, sensitive in love, committed to profession, honest to the extent of rude, saying things as they are irrespective of to who, expression of emotions including crying, overboard with women and alcohol and drugs, understanding of his fathers emotions, willing to stand up to self. It's a package. 

What's our 'normal' ? We (society) want all the 'right' (?) things to happen and all the 'not right' (?) things to be suppressed.  And then we're surprised that we have a society full of issues and stress and mediocrity.

Well, well, looks like it's bringing up some suppressed anger this end as well. As it's meant to I guess :)

Sandeep Vanga, for daring to show people the mirror...Kudos, and may your tribe increase.