Itlu Arjuna has received huge support from people in the Telugu film industry right from the beginning. Nagarjuna supported the film and also came on board as its presenter. Jr NTR, Ram Charan and Akhil Akkineni openly extended their support to debutant Aniesh, while Mahesh Babu also spoke about the film. Aniesh's father, Mahesh Reddy, is a businessman who earlier produced two devotional films, Shirdi Sai and Om Namo Venkatesaya, with Nagarjuna in the lead role. Malayalam actress Anaswara Rajan, who made her Telugu debut with Champion, plays the female lead. Mahesh Uppala makes his debut as a director, while director Venky Kudumula turns producer with this film. Thaman S has composed the music, and the songs and trailer created good interest among audiences. The film was released on Friday. Has it given Aniesh a successful debut? Let's find out.

Director: Mahesh Uppala

Cast: Aniesh, Anaswara Rajan, Vennela Kishore, Brahmaji, Mukesh Rishi and others

Arjun (Aniesh) has been mute since childhood and grows up to become a thief. However, after his father dies due to illness, Arjun decides to give up stealing to honour a promise he made to him. He has been secretly in love with Keerthi (Anaswara Rajan), who lives in the same apartment, since childhood, but never approaches her. Keerthi, however, has no idea about his feelings. Meanwhile, Peddanna (Mukesh Rishi), a powerful don in Hyderabad, faces a major setback when his son is murdered by a helmet-wearing person during a Rs 1,000-crore hawala deal involving the transfer of money from Jaisalmer to Hyderabad. In an unexpected situation, Keerthi seeks Arjun's help to escape from her brother-in-law (Vennela Kishore). This brings them closer, and their relationship gradually develops.

However, Arjun and Keerthi soon find themselves caught up in the hawala case. The police, Peddanna and several others start chasing them for a pen drive containing details of the money and its password. At the same time, Keerthi's mother wants to move to the USA. What happens to Arjun and Keerthi's love story? What is the actual story behind the Rs 1,000-crore hawala deal? Who is the youngster wearing the helmet? Does Arjun have any connection to the murder? The rest of the film answers these questions.

Playing a mute character in his debut film is not an easy task for any actor. The biggest challenge is conveying emotions without speaking, and director Mahesh Uppala handles this aspect quite cleverly. The audience can easily understand what Arjun wants to express, even though he cannot speak. The film begins by introducing a young Arjun and his father, who are involved in stealing from a house. It establishes that Arjun grows up to be a thief, but he is also smart and intelligent despite being unable to speak. The story then moves towards the Rs 1,000-crore hawala deal and the pen drive connected to it. Whenever a major theft takes place, the police suspect Arjun and turn up at his house.

The first half moves between the hawala crime and Arjun's feelings for Keerthi, who lives in the same apartment. The director mixes the crime angle with the love story quite well, making the proceedings entertaining. The story itself is thin, but the way it is narrated, with some laughs and interesting situations, keeps the film moving.

Generally, when a hero faces goons in Telugu films, he fights them with regular action sequences, but Itlu Arjuna takes a different approach. The action episodes are designed more like parkour stunts, with the hero jumping, running and climbing to escape from his opponents. These sequences are choreographed well and offer something different.

Arjun's attempts to get close to Keerthi, express his love and handle the funny situations he gets into make the first half entertaining. However, the director takes some time to get into the main story. The narrative picks up pace from the preinterval sequence, which creates interest in the second half. From there, the story revolves around the pen drive and the challenges Arjun faces. The way he handles these situations, despite being mute, is interesting. The final twist also works well. However, the second half feels a little slow in parts. The hawala deal, which is presented as a major element throughout the film, takes a back seat towards the end. The climax, which takes place at Peddanna's den, runs for nearly 30 minutes and keeps the audience engaged. Vennela Kishore and Brahmaji provide some laughs along the way.

Overall, director Mahesh Uppala deserves credit for coming up with an interesting narration by mixing crime, action and a love story. For a debut film, Itlu Arjuna works well.

Aniesh faces a challenging task with his debut film, but he handles it like a mature and experienced actor. Playing a mute character in his first film is not easy, but he does a good job of conveying emotions through his expressions and body language. He also performs well in the dance and action sequences. The romantic scenes, in which he expresses his feelings through gestures, have come out well. Anaswara Rajan has already proven herself to be a talented actor, and she once again delivers a good performance. Doing a fabulous job as Keerthi, she is one of the film's strong pillars, and her chemistry with Aniesh works well.

After a long time, Vennela Kishore gets a good role and brings in some laughs. Senior actor Brahmaji also gets a meaty role, and his presence is felt throughout the film. His scenes with Getup Srinu are particularly hilarious. Mukesh Rishi is convincing as the cruel don Peddanna. Other actors from different film industries are also part of the cast, but their roles are limited, and the high-pitched Telugu dubbing for some of them is noticeable.

The cinematography by Raja Mahadevan deserves a special mention. The visuals are neat and look rich on screen. Since the protagonist cannot speak, the background score plays an important role in conveying his emotions, and it works well. The songs are also good. Thaman's music is one of the film's major assets, and this is certainly among his better works in recent times. The production values are impressive as well.

Mahesh Uppala makes a good directorial debut with Itlu Arjuna. Some scenes could have been shorter, but the way he mixes a simple love story with crime, action and thriller elements works well. Aniesh also makes a promising debut by choosing a challenging character and delivering a good performance. However, the biggest question is why the crore hawala deal, which drives much of the story, is almost sidelined towards the end. Perhaps the makers are keeping it as a lead for a sequel, but only the director knows the reason. Overall, Itlu Arjuna has its share of entertaining moments and will appeal to audiences who enjoy romantic crime thrillers.