20 years of Arya: the film that turned Allu Arjun’s life around

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By South First Desk

May 08, 2024

Upon its release in 2004, Arya was referred to as the film that changed the dynamics of Telugu cinema.

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Allu Arjun was still naive; his career seemed fledgling compared to already accomplished big stars like Prabhas, Jr NTR, and Tharun.

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Though Allu Arjun scored a hit with his debut Gangotri (directed by Raghavendra Rao) in 2003, Arya changed his fortune forever.

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Arjun’s actor-friend Tharun invited him to Dil‘s special premiere show — Raju’s maiden production venture, at Prasads Labs, where the former met with Sukumar for the first time.

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“It was mind-blowing. I watched Idiot (2002) in a theatre and wanted to do such films. After Sukumar’s narration, I felt this (Arya) is my Idiot.”

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Arya showcased the Telugu actor in a new avatar and his dancing skills mesmerised the audience. Devi Sri Prasad’s songs and Arjun’s dance moves became a crazy hit.

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Filmmaker Sukumar, who was also present at the “20 Years for Arya” celebrations, disclosed that he penned the story together with his friend Rama.

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He revealed that he never likes item numbers but Dil Raju insisted on keeping one in Arya. “But I never realised that ‘Aa Ante Amalapuram’ would create a sensation in the industry.”

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