Movie Name : Itllu Arjuna
Release Date : November 13, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5
Starring : Aniesh, Anaswara Rajan, Mukesh Rishi, Kalaiyarasan, Brahmaji, Getup Srinu, Elango Kumaravel and others
Director : Mahesh Uppala
Producer : Venky Kudumula
Music Director : Thaman S
Cinematographer : Raja Mahadhevan
Editor : Koti K
Related Links : Trailer
Itllu Arjuna is one of the most talked about films from Tollywood for its aggressive marketing including top stars. The movie marks the debut of Aniesh, while Anaswara Rajan played the female lead. Debutant Mahesh directed this flick. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
A pendrive containing highly important information belonging to gangster Peddhanna (Mukesh Rishi) gets stolen by an anonymous person. A group of henchmen is assigned the responsibility of finding it. Meanwhile, the narrative also focuses on pickpocket Arjun (Aniesh), who has been madly in love with Keerthy (Anaswara Rajan) since childhood. Friendship develops between Keerthy and Arjun, but in an unexpected turn of events, they get entangled in a series of chaotic situations that connect them to Peddhanna. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
Plus Points:
Without an iota of doubt, Itllu Arjuna belongs majorly to Thaman. As the film makes it clear from the beginning, the protagonist is a mute person. With no dialogues to keep the proceedings going, music becomes an important element, and Thaman’s work becomes the voice of the voiceless.
In his debut outing, Aniesh delivers a promising performance. It’s very tough to pull off a character with a disability, and his attempt at such a challenging role right at the beginning stage of his career is appreciable. In some key moments, Aniesh is very convincing.
Anaswara Rajan looks charming and shares very good chemistry with the protagonist. Her neat expressions and adorable presence make several moments work. The way her character acts dumb in some portions evokes good laughs.
The first half is engaging and high on entertainment. Some comedy segments click really well. Kalaiyarasan and Elango Kumaravel are good in their respective roles.
Minus Points:
While the film offers refreshing moments in the first half, the momentum drops comparatively in the second half with the comedy taking a back seat. Had the entertainment quotient been maintained throughout, the impact could have been even better. Mukesh Rishi’s character is under developed.
The crime setup isn’t particularly effective. The love track is neatly handled, but the face-off between the protagonist and the villain gang could have been more impactful. There is a conscious effort throughout to portray the protagonist as vulnerable, but the tricks he uses to outsmart the antagonists could have been designed more sharply.
Technical Aspects:
As stated earlier, Thaman is the heartbeat of Itllu Arjuna. The songs are euphonious, and the background score is exhilarating. Even when the writing isn’t up to the mark, Thaman makes the proceedings watchable with his top-notch score. He scores high on both songs and BGM.
The production values are fabulous, and the makers have spent big bucks on the film. Venky Kudumula deserves applause for backing fresh talent and mounting the movie on such a large scale. Raja Mahadhevan’s cinematography during the romantic portions gives the film a breezy feel, with the visuals being pleasant on the eye. The editing could have been crisper in the second half.
Debutant Mahesh Uppala does a decent job. Though the crime setup doesn’t work particularly well, he ensures that the film remains reasonably watchable, if not extraordinary.
Verdict:
On the whole, Itllu Arjuna is a fairly entertaining romantic action comedy that features an impressive debut from Aniesh. Anaswara Rajan plays her part neatly, and the first half is highly engaging, with entertaining comedy blocks. The graph dips in the second half, with the face-off scenes not being up to the mark. The film could have reached its full potential had the entertainment quotient been maintained throughout. However, Thaman’s fantastic score elevates several moments and keeps the proceedings engaging without too many dull moments, making this a satisfactory watch.
123telugu.com Rating: 3.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
