ARI Movie Review: Anasuya Bharadwaj shines in this relatable dark social drama
ARI Movie Review: The concept of the film is quite good and has not been tried much. But there are a few forced emotions in the latter part which could have been avoided.
ARI Movie Review
Last Updated: 07.36 PM, Oct 10, 2025
ARI Story:
The film follows six individuals driven by their wild desires. Amul Kumar (Harsha Chemudu), a hotel worker, dreams of spending a night with Sunny Leone. Air hostess Athreyi (Anasuya) envies her co-worker and wishes to stay beautiful forever. Gunjan (Shubhalekha Sudhakar) wants his family’s property, while CI Chaitanya (Srikant Iyengar) is obsessed with a missing person. Lakshmi (Surabhi Prabhavathi) hopes to bring her dead husband back, and Vipranarayan Pashwan (Sai Kumar) desires eternal wealth for his heirs. When an ad promising to fulfill wishes surfaces online, all of them approach the mysterious man (Vinod Varma) behind it. But to get what they want, they must face a series of tough tests. What happens next forms the crux of the story.
ARI Review
ARI has been written and directed by Jayashankar and is based on the lives of six people who dare to go to extremes to fulfil their desires. The basic concept of the film is quite interesting and has been executed in an engaging manner. The way the conflict point in each individual's life is revealed in the setup is quite good.
The first half is mostly about how these individuals approach Vinod Varma to help them out. He puts conditions on each of them, and only if they pass a few tests can they achieve their goals. This looks quite interesting and has been narrated in a gripping way for the most part.
The concepts of lust, anger, jealousy, aggression, desperation, and deceit have been dealt with in this film. However, to make things commercial, a few characters like Srinivasa Reddy and Chammak Chandra are introduced to evoke laughs, and they obstruct the flow of the film. If not for such tracks, ARI would have been even more gripping.
The concept of the film is based on Arishadvargas and has some good moments. Things start on a very intriguing note, and one wonders how these crazy characters pass the tests given to them to achieve their desires. But it is the mid-part that makes things go haywire. Even in the second half, the director takes way too many cinematic liberties and loses the plot. Things get back on track in the last half hour, and the stories get a proper and convincing ending.
To date, films with such a unique concept have not been attempted before in Telugu, and one needs to credit the director for this. Coming to the performances, the makers have chosen seasoned actors, and they impress. Harsha Chemudu, as the one with desperation, is amazing in the film. The way he plays his character, which sounds a bit cheesy, is good to see on screen. Though the director narrates his character in a silly manner, Harsha makes things interesting.
Sai Kumar, as the wealthy man who wants his descendants to also be rich, gives a fine performance. Srikanth Iyengar suits his role perfectly, and the restlessness he shows through his emotions fits his character well.
But it is Anasuya Bharadwaj who steals the show. She, as an air hostess who wants to remain forever young, gives a fine performance. Her obsession with beauty and the way she behaves on screen to justify it are showcased so well by the actress. Veteran actor Subhalekha Sudhakar is shown in a new avatar, and he is very good. The rest of the cast, including Vinod Varma, is also okay.
The basic idea is good, and the way the film is edited in the end is neat. The dialogues are thought-provoking, but the production design could have been a lot better. The film has decent thrills executed in an interesting manner, and the message the director conveys at the end, that greed will not take you anywhere in life, is told quite nicely. There are a few hiccups in the film, but the way it is moulded with simple narration makes all the difference.
ARI Verdict:
On the whole, ARI (My name is nobody) has a very interesting premise and is neatly narrated for the most part. The presence of seasoned actors makes all the difference, and if you ignore the forced emotions and comedy, you can give the film a shot for its unique theme.
FAQs
Q. What is Anasuya Bharadwaj's new release in Telugu?
A. Her new film titled ARI hit the screens on October 10, 2025
Q. Who are the main leads in ARI?
A. Anasuya Bharadwaj, Srikanth Iyengar, Harsha Chemudu, and Sai Kumar play key roles
Q. What is the film ARI all about?
A. ARI is the story of six people with wild desires. To fulfil them, they need to pass crazy tests.
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