DJ Tillu review: Siddhu Jonnalagadda is a riot in this enjoyable crime comedy

3.5/5

Story:

Bala Gangadhar Tilak a.k.a Tillu is an irresponsible yet innocent youngster, who settles for a largely non-happening career as a DJ. His parents are tired of lecturing about his life and more or less give up on him. Tillu meets a singer Radhika at a bar and is bowled over by her performance. Sparks fly between the two but there's a mysterious side to Radhika's life that Tillu is not quite aware of. All hell breaks loose when Tillu is at Radhika's residence on his birthday. He's in for a wild ride.

Review:

Slowly but steadily, Telugu cinema is inching towards a phase where storytellers are venturing beyond larger-than-life characters, recognising the significance of representing the common man's voice and concerns on the big screen. DJ Tillu is a welcome addition to this ever-growing list of films in recent times. 

Tillu is like any other youngster you may meet in a busy street in Hyderabad - a 'pakka local' guy. He is innocent at heart, may appear outspoken, rude, even a flirt. He does not have any existential issues or big money at his disposal but is content in his little world. What if he's stuck with a dead body at his girlfriend's house on a night? That's DJ Tillu in a nutshell.

DJ Tillu works like magic on the screen because its writers (Vimal Krishna and Siddhu Jonnalagadda) look at Tillu sans any filters, have a complete understanding of his milieu, the way he behaves, dresses, speaks and reacts to situations. The consistency in Tillu's characterisation is visible throughout and the duo trusts the audiences to get him, and even entertain them in this process.

As a crime comedy, the film doesn't aim to break any new ground but the writer, director place a bunch of eccentric characters in a deadlock situation and maximise its entertainment quotient. Tillu, besides the dead body, is in the interesting company of a manipulative girlfriend, a womaniser cop, a disgruntled constable, a money-minded detective and clueless parents.

Make no mistake, there's no room for subtlety or sophistication here and even though the reactions to a few situations may appear on the face, the film does a good job of staying true to its ambience. The director also varies the tone of the film in both halves and ensures variety. While he establishes the crime scene in the first hour, comedy takes precedence in the latter.

The slick film walks the tightrope between silliness and comedy in the second half with the memory loss-angle to Tillu, though the move is justified well in the hilarious courtroom scene. While you're curious to know the world of the characters beyond DJ Tillu (who, at times, appear like caricatures) too, the writers are clear that this is a script driven solely by the merits of its lead character. 

This is an out-and-out Siddhu Jonnalagadda show, so much that you're tempted to read between the lines of his real-life and reel-life avatars. Unlike the privileged characters he's played in films like Krishna and his Leela, Maa Vintha Gaadha Vinuma, he places himself in a massy terrain and performs the character with immense conviction.

The casting is top-notch. Neha Shetty in a grey character shines well in the first hour though her part takes a backseat later. (have they preserved her backstory for the sequel?) Prince Cecil is fantastic as a rich-spoilt brat with a weakness for women and is quite a natural in bringing the negative shades in his role to the fore.

The supporting cast works like dream, right from Brahmaji to Narra Srinivas, Fish Venkat and Pragathi Suresh. The on-screen parents of DJ Tillu are a hoot whenever they appear on the screen and the father-son confrontation sequences are a hoot. Three composers - Ram Miriyala, Sri Charan Pakala and Thaman - have worked on the film and the consistency in the tone is surprisingly seamless. 

The dialogue, rooted in the Telangana slang, is still the heart of DJ Tillu - this will be the main reason why everyone from 16 to 60 will flock to the theatres.

Verdict:

DJ Tillu lives upto expectations and delivers exactly what its promises - a no-holds-barred crime comedy with wacky characters, terrific dialogues, catchy music and Siddhu Jonnalagadda in blazing form. When is the sequel coming?