Arjun Reddy: A coming-of-rage flick
A TRIBUTE ARTICLE.
Our hero is all that you wouldn't expect from a conventional hero. He has more attributes of a villain than a hero. Yes. These conventional blockbusters portray 'heroes' who have never had anger issues but when the villain does an unlawful activity in front of the hero, there is a sudden outburst of anger which was latent throughout a good part of the film. Then we see the stick-thin hero pulverizing the villain and his henchmen all alone.
Then, like a bolt out of the blue, we have Vijay Deverakonda who plays Arjun Reddy after two hits(one as a supporting actor and the other as a lead actor) in Tollywood. This guy has broken the image of a perfect hero other heroes have been cashing in on. Millennials who were fed up of Indian cinema and were making Netflix rich, sat back and watched 'Arjun Reddy' unfurl its wings on screen.
'Arjun Reddy' will always be remembered as one of the cult classics of not just Tollywood but also as the pride of Indian Cinema. It is because the director and the lead actor had the audacity to challenge the image of a hero of most of the Indian films ever made. The audience too heaved a sigh of relief because the lovers were reunited in the most logical of scenarios. No drama was involved in writing the screenplay. Pure emotions.
We have been so accustomed to seeing the protagonist being a gentleman. The general attitude of a hero in most movies is that of a people-pleaser. Most directors don’t seem to show the protagonist in a bad light and the antagonists in good light(This was disproved in Vikram Vedha though). The attitude of the hero changes and he ruffles only when he is standing face to face with the villain. His attitude undergoes a paramount change in this situation. Whatever the scenario is, our hero doesn’t utter a single cuss word. At times I wonder what makes the hero so thick-skinned and tongue-tied. Is it the reputation of the hero amongst family audiences or the coveted, ‘U Certificate’, that will bring in more families?
The attitude of Arjun wasn't well-received by some sections of the society. They termed it as 'self-harming' and 'too outrageous' for a doctor. Even the lawyer played by Priyadarshi echoes the same sentiments. He terms Arjun's mindset as that being, 'Too free-spirited for a democratic world.' Some accused Vijay of playing such a character very early in his cinematic career. Just like the 'Arjun Reddy Veriyans', Sandeep(The director) and Vijay brushed off all the allegations. They opined that such an attitude was shown to display the true nature of the character sans any sugar coating. While people like me are crazy about the film, some people equally despise the film too.
The heroine’s role had been so beautifully sketched. The character needed a strong and experienced lead who would portray a plethora of emotions throughout the whole movie. Here, the director chose the road less taken and cast Shalini Pandey who was a newcomer. Even though she was cajoled by Vijay to go out with him in the initial stages, it was she who dictated the terms and slapped Vijay multiple times in the climax.
She shed all her inhibitions and portrayed Preethi Shetty in a very presumptuous manner. The transition from a junior who was initially scared of Arjun to becoming his beloved was very heartening to watch. Only she could slap Arjun and get away with it. It is very contrasting to the initial sequences where she was intimidated by Arjun and his friends. That is how much the character evolved as the movie progressed.
The selection of background music by the director has to be applauded. Not just this but the pitching of songs at moments no one would have ever thought of has to be equally praised. 'Cheri Cheri Lady', 'Sumanasa Vandita' and even Louis Armstrong's, 'What a Wonderful World' have been revived and makes us realise the ability of classical and songs of the yesteryears to change the mood of the film. I watched an interview where Sandeep said that it took him 7 years to become a director and that in these 7 years he watched a lot of foreign movies. Trust me, I'm waiting for the next movie of Sandeep Reddy Vanga more than any other film.
When the movie started with the monologue of Shri. Kanchana who plays Arjun's grandmother, I wondered what was the need for this anecdote. She narrates that as a child when Arjun lost his doll, he wanted the same doll. He wouldn't eat properly until he found out the exact same doll. At such a young age, he had identified that hope is a good thing. What a beautiful way to narrate the story! I expected that the introduction of the hero would be as divine and immaculate as the anecdote. Then we see Arjun waking up and dipping a whiskey bottle in the overhead tank presumably full of alcohol. He does other 'unholy' activities too in the incipient stages of the character. To me, that was when the whole cast and crew of Arjun Reddy went ahead and challenged the attributes of a typical hero.
Yes. Arjun Reddy is a high-functioning alcoholic and a drug addict. But his soul is one of the purest out there.
Yes. Arjun Reddy has a high libido. But he doesn't objectify women or "use" them. Notice how open he's in asking the heroine for a friends-with-benefits relationship?
Yes. Arjun Reddy isn't a perfectly made film and has its own flaws. But the strong points outnumber the flaws. We can say it has the least number of flaws in the movies made in recent times.
We all have an Arjun Reddy inside of us. It's just that we haven't met the right person who can bring out that character in us. Maybe we are destined to meet someone who will love us like a Preethi. Maybe we are destined to have a friend who will stand by us during our turbulent times like Shiva. Maybe...
Our hero is all that you wouldn't expect from a conventional hero. He has more attributes of a villain than a hero. Yes. These conventional blockbusters portray 'heroes' who have never had anger issues but when the villain does an unlawful activity in front of the hero, there is a sudden outburst of anger which was latent throughout a good part of the film. Then we see the stick-thin hero pulverizing the villain and his henchmen all alone.
Then, like a bolt out of the blue, we have Vijay Deverakonda who plays Arjun Reddy after two hits(one as a supporting actor and the other as a lead actor) in Tollywood. This guy has broken the image of a perfect hero other heroes have been cashing in on. Millennials who were fed up of Indian cinema and were making Netflix rich, sat back and watched 'Arjun Reddy' unfurl its wings on screen.
'Arjun Reddy' will always be remembered as one of the cult classics of not just Tollywood but also as the pride of Indian Cinema. It is because the director and the lead actor had the audacity to challenge the image of a hero of most of the Indian films ever made. The audience too heaved a sigh of relief because the lovers were reunited in the most logical of scenarios. No drama was involved in writing the screenplay. Pure emotions.
We have been so accustomed to seeing the protagonist being a gentleman. The general attitude of a hero in most movies is that of a people-pleaser. Most directors don’t seem to show the protagonist in a bad light and the antagonists in good light(This was disproved in Vikram Vedha though). The attitude of the hero changes and he ruffles only when he is standing face to face with the villain. His attitude undergoes a paramount change in this situation. Whatever the scenario is, our hero doesn’t utter a single cuss word. At times I wonder what makes the hero so thick-skinned and tongue-tied. Is it the reputation of the hero amongst family audiences or the coveted, ‘U Certificate’, that will bring in more families?
The attitude of Arjun wasn't well-received by some sections of the society. They termed it as 'self-harming' and 'too outrageous' for a doctor. Even the lawyer played by Priyadarshi echoes the same sentiments. He terms Arjun's mindset as that being, 'Too free-spirited for a democratic world.' Some accused Vijay of playing such a character very early in his cinematic career. Just like the 'Arjun Reddy Veriyans', Sandeep(The director) and Vijay brushed off all the allegations. They opined that such an attitude was shown to display the true nature of the character sans any sugar coating. While people like me are crazy about the film, some people equally despise the film too.
The heroine’s role had been so beautifully sketched. The character needed a strong and experienced lead who would portray a plethora of emotions throughout the whole movie. Here, the director chose the road less taken and cast Shalini Pandey who was a newcomer. Even though she was cajoled by Vijay to go out with him in the initial stages, it was she who dictated the terms and slapped Vijay multiple times in the climax.
She shed all her inhibitions and portrayed Preethi Shetty in a very presumptuous manner. The transition from a junior who was initially scared of Arjun to becoming his beloved was very heartening to watch. Only she could slap Arjun and get away with it. It is very contrasting to the initial sequences where she was intimidated by Arjun and his friends. That is how much the character evolved as the movie progressed.
The selection of background music by the director has to be applauded. Not just this but the pitching of songs at moments no one would have ever thought of has to be equally praised. 'Cheri Cheri Lady', 'Sumanasa Vandita' and even Louis Armstrong's, 'What a Wonderful World' have been revived and makes us realise the ability of classical and songs of the yesteryears to change the mood of the film. I watched an interview where Sandeep said that it took him 7 years to become a director and that in these 7 years he watched a lot of foreign movies. Trust me, I'm waiting for the next movie of Sandeep Reddy Vanga more than any other film.
When the movie started with the monologue of Shri. Kanchana who plays Arjun's grandmother, I wondered what was the need for this anecdote. She narrates that as a child when Arjun lost his doll, he wanted the same doll. He wouldn't eat properly until he found out the exact same doll. At such a young age, he had identified that hope is a good thing. What a beautiful way to narrate the story! I expected that the introduction of the hero would be as divine and immaculate as the anecdote. Then we see Arjun waking up and dipping a whiskey bottle in the overhead tank presumably full of alcohol. He does other 'unholy' activities too in the incipient stages of the character. To me, that was when the whole cast and crew of Arjun Reddy went ahead and challenged the attributes of a typical hero.
Yes. Arjun Reddy is a high-functioning alcoholic and a drug addict. But his soul is one of the purest out there.
Yes. Arjun Reddy has a high libido. But he doesn't objectify women or "use" them. Notice how open he's in asking the heroine for a friends-with-benefits relationship?
Yes. Arjun Reddy isn't a perfectly made film and has its own flaws. But the strong points outnumber the flaws. We can say it has the least number of flaws in the movies made in recent times.
We all have an Arjun Reddy inside of us. It's just that we haven't met the right person who can bring out that character in us. Maybe we are destined to meet someone who will love us like a Preethi. Maybe we are destined to have a friend who will stand by us during our turbulent times like Shiva. Maybe...
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