Aarya 2

Two boys meet in an orphanage and become friends. One is adopted by a wealthy family and grows up to own a software company, and gives the other a job. When both fall for the same woman, the bond does not hold. Sukumar does something unusual for mainstream Telugu cinema: he does not try to make his lead's behaviour look acceptable, and he does not abandon him either. Allu Arjun's character is obsessive, unbounded and at times frightening. The film treats this not as a flaw but as the core of the person, and accepts that the audience will be uncomfortable. Kajal Aggarwal plays the woman and Navdeep the other friend. On release it split Telugu audiences, and the argument ran for years. Who it's for: Viewers curious about Telugu films that push at mainstream shapes, and about Allu Arjun's early work. Who it's not for: The lead's persistence and possessiveness are indefensible from here, and the film gives him a great deal of room. Anyone wanting an easy romantic comedy is in the wrong place.