Arjun S/o Vyjayanthi Review: Kalyan Ram's film is a familiar ride with a strong climax

Arjun S/o Vyjayanthi Story

Vyjayanthi (Vijaya Shanthi) is a top cop who wants her son Arjun (Kalyan Ram) to follow in her footsteps. But unfortunately, Arjun takes the wrong path and becomes a messiah of the masses, turning into a dreaded gangster. Things take a turn when a top cop, played by Srikanth, enters the scene and urges Arjun to surrender. Arjun refuses, further distancing himself from his mother. The rest of the story revolves around how Arjun takes on the mantle of saving the poor from the evils of society, going against the very system where his mother has an important place to call the shots.

Arjun S/o Vyjayanthi Review

Arjun S/o Vyjayanthi is written and directed by Pradeep Chilukuri and has the legendary Vijaya Shanthi of Osey Ramulamma fame in the lead role. He takes a pretty simple mother-son story and sets it in today's world. What makes this basic and routine idea different is the treatment. The film starts on an impressive note, and the setup for a cop mother wanting her son to leave crime is showcased impressively.

But once this happens, the narrative becomes routine and does not bring anything new to the table. Though the action sequences keep you at bay, the basic template is commercial and has been showcased in many films to date. But the director saves his best for the last, as the climax he brings in is quite good. The ending and the manner in which the film is wrapped up with a unique climax are well thought out and quite meaningful.

But to enjoy all this, one needs to go through the regular template of a cop mother and the son who goes against her. The mother-son emotional angle is decent and brings in a few good moments to cherish, as Kalyan Ram and Vijaya Shanthi do well in their roles, and their chemistry is top-notch. As they are seasoned campaigners, they bring a lot of depth to the proceedings.

In all this, one of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the over-the-top dialogues. As they have been written to please the masses, they do not land well and bore you after a point. Especially those written for Patas fame Kalyan Ram's character are way too loud. 

RRR fame Jr NTR attended the pre-release event of the film and stated that the last twenty minutes will be shocking. The makers hyped this aspect in a big way, but the episodes executed during this time are not worth the hype. They have been showcased earlier in many films.

Coming to the performances, Vijaya Shanthi, who has done terrific roles in films like Swayamkrushi, is quite good in her cop role, torn between her duty and a bad son. The way she has performed in the climax is quite good. Kalyan Ram is presented in an aggressive avatar in this film, and he is impressive. But his performance in the emotional scenes was surprising. Kalyan Ram showcases terrific acting prowess and carries the film on his shoulders.

Saiee Manjrekar, who was last seen in Varun Tej's Ghani, looks beautiful in her role, but sadly, she does not get much screen time. Sohail Khan made his Telugu debut and was okay. One also gets a feeling that his character should have been elevated a bit more. Babloo Prithviraj of Animal fame gets a good cop's role, and he does his supporting role to the best of his capabilities.

Ajaneesh Lokanath has composed the music, and his songs are ordinary. He is known for his BGM, but it is not up to the mark and feels loud for no reason. The fights composed need a special mention, as they have been canned in a stylish manner. The production values and camera work are decent and make the film look rich.

The idea of Arjun S/o Vyjayanthi is simple. The makers wrote the basic climax of the film and then weaved a story around it, even though they knew that the story was outdated. While the presentation is routine, the fights and performances are decent.

Arjun S/o Vyjayanthi Verdict

On the whole, Arjun S/o Vyjayanthi is a typical mother-son story that has been told many times before. Novelty-wise wise there is nothing new, but the performances, mass action, and star presence are the saving grace.

Also Read: 5 memorable films of Nandamuri Kalyan Ram worth revisiting on OTT