Julayi

Ravi does not work, bets constantly, and thinks about nothing but easy money. One day he witnesses a large bank robbery. Bittu, the gang leader who carried it out, sees him. Ravi does not go to the police. He plans instead to rob the gang his own way. Trivikram Srinivas writes and directs. Allu Arjun plays Ravi, Sonu Sood plays Bittu, Ileana D'Cruz plays Madhu. The idea at the centre is that the hero does not fight. Ravi is not physically strong; he proceeds by planning, bluff and timing. That is the inverse of the template common in Telugu cinema at the time and the most praised thing about it. Trivikram is known for dialogue writing, and the strength here is in the talk; the lines stayed in circulation among Telugu audiences for a long time. Sonu Sood's Bittu became one of the best known villain roles of his career. It was a large commercial success and among the biggest films of Allu Arjun's career to that point. The weakness is the second half: once the plan is set the film runs long, and the romance and the comedy break the rhythm. Who it is for: viewers who like Telugu action comedy and crime films built on a plan. Who it is not for: it runs long, the female character has limited function, and the last section explains more than it needs to.