Happy Birthday Allu Arjun: How 'Naa Peru Surya' actor stole the hearts of audience

Allu Arjun has become a bankable star in the Telugu-speaking states with impressive opening-day collections at the box office. To serve as an example, his last release, DJ – Duvvada Jagannadham, collected Rs 24 crore on day 1 in India. This happens to be Bunny’s (that is how he is addressed by friends) career best. His upcoming film Naa Peru Surya is expected to beat this record.

So, how did the actor make a place for himself in the industry that was ruled by the likes of Mahesh Babu and Prabhas? He started out with refreshing content targeted towards the youth in what was then combined Andhra Pradesh. It is through films like Arya, Happy and Parugu that he created a space for himself in a tough industry and then made a smooth transition to purely action films. Arjun is also megastar Chiranjeevi’s nephew. Arjun made a debut in the Telugu film industry with Gangotri in 2003. But Arya, directed by Sukumar was Arjun’s breakthrough film. He plays a character called Arya, who helps the girl he is in love with get together with her boyfriend. He confesses his feelings for the girl in question from his college (Anuradha Mehta) and yet helps her. This twist in the plot fascinated audiences enough. He then chose to work in Bunny, directed by VV Vinayak.

The film, which was a mix of revenge and romance, also worked at the box office marking Allu Arjun’s third consecutive hit since his debut. Happy, Arjun’s next film, had him play the role of a happy-go-lucky guy who gets married to (Madhumati) to help her complete her education. The film is about the journey of two strangers, pushed to get married, who become friends subsequently and then fall in love. This film’s premise was applauded by viewers, leading to yet another box office win. By now, Allu Arjun had become a rage and he slowly stepped into action genre with Desamurudu and Parugu. With his smart choices, he became a commercial star to look out for. He did not step out of his comfort zone and, at the same time, he changed and adapted himself enough to not bore his audience. Once the audience accepted him as an action star, he started working mainly in such films.

His upcoming summer release, Naa Peru Surya, is one such a film. Arjun’s reputation as the ‘prince of box office’ started with the film S/O Satyamurthy. While the critics found the plot generic and lengthy for a Trivikram Srinivas film, the audience liked Arjun’s movie and in no time it went on to becoming a blockbuster. He has become a champion of many successful projects by now -- Race Gurram, Sarrainodu and Duvvada Jagannadham – serving as examples and is expected to repeat the magic of a Allu Arjun summer release yet again. From a boy-next-door that girls had a crush on to an action star with a loyal fan following, Allu Arjun’s rise in Telugu film industry as a top-tier actor is nothing short of spectacular.