Movie: Tillu Square
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Sithara Entertainments
Cast: Siddhu Jonnalagadda, Anupama Parameswaran, Muralidhar Goud, Prince, Murali Sharma, and others
Music Director: Ram Miriyala and Achu Rajamani
Background Score: Bheems Ceciroleo
DOP: Sai Prakash Ummadisingu
Editor: Navin Nooli
Production Designer: A.S. Prakash
Producers: Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya
Directed by: Mallik Ram
Release Date: March 29, 2024
“DJ Tillu” was a stupendous success. So, “Tillu Square”, its sequel, generated buzz and excitement since the announcement. The film is finally here.
Let’s find out whether the sequel is double the funnier or not?
Story:
While Tillu (Siddhu Jonnalagadda), a DJ, tries to impress girls at a party, a drunk girl named Lily (Anupama Parameswaran) vomits on his shoes.
She apologizes to him, and he instantly starts flirting with her. Tillu and Lily kiss in the car and spend the night together, but she does not want to see him again.
A few weeks later, she reappears and tells him she is pregnant with his child. While Tillu was still 'processing’ this, his parents asked him to marry her.
On his birthday, Tillu receives a call from Lily inviting him to an apartment to meet her. When he arrives at the flat, he realizes she has called him to the same location where Radhika (Neha Shetty) had previously invited him.
At a point, Lily reveals that she is the sister of Rohit (Damaraju) who has been missing [This character is the one who was buried by Tillu in the first part].
From here, the story takes a different turn. After a series of events Lily shows different side of her character. With several twists and turns the story comes to a climax to unleash how her character culminates at the end and how Tillu transforms from an innocent victim to the other way.
Artistes’ Performances:
Siddhu Jonnalagadda totally owns the film. He popularized the character Tillu, and he reprised it again with the same flair. Though there is a sense of déjà vu in his performance, the one-liners keep you laughing throughout. His energetic acting and one-liners work mainly.
Anupama Parameswaran receives a role with two shades but the so-called ‘surprising twist’ to her character has not worked much. She does more and intense liplocks in this film
Muralidhar Gowd, as Siddhu's father, cracks a handful of jokes. Murali Sharma, Prince, and others simply do routine jobs. Neha Shetty makes a guest appearance.
Technical Excellence:
The songs by Ram Miriyala and Achu Rajamani are good. These songs serve the purpose and add some value. Bheems' background score is fine.
Camerawork, production design and richness have met the expectations.
The dialogues are the main attraction. Dialogue writers have done a terrific job.
Highlights:
Siddhu's performance as Tillu
Hilarious one-liners
Twists in the crime track
Drawback:
Thinline story
Love track
Analysis
The protagonist Tillu's life is turned upside down in "DJ Tillu" when he meets the gorgeous Radhika, played by Neha Shetty. Radhika's story does not continue in the sequel, but a new woman, Lily, played by Anupama Parameswaran, enters his life, causing him to face new issues as a result of fresh attractions. But the sequel opens by reminding us of the first story and follows the same template.
Except for the lip-lock passages between Tillu and Lily and her pregnancy track, the rest of the first half is nearly identical to the original film. Only at the interval bang does the plot change direction. From here, the film transitions from crime comedy to spy thriller.
While the entire storyline of special agents using a DJ Tillu to apprehend an international don and kill him with a 'sweet' appears absurd, this spoof-style story is perhaps intentional. Much of the film, both in the first and second halves, has a déjà vu effect and repetition.
There are lengthy sections of regular narration. But those episodes become more entertaining when Siddhu Jonnalagadda cracks a joke or two.
Siddhu's one-liners save the film when it becomes monotonous.
When "DJ Tillu" was released, the crime comedy looked fresh due to Tillu's unusual characterisation and acting. Furthermore, Neha Shetty looked stunning, and there was a sizzling chemistry in Tillu and Neha Shetty's romance. Tillu calling her 'Akka' innocently when he discovers her true identity brought the house down. But the same magic goes missing between the characters of Siddhu Jonnalagadda and Anupama Parameswaran, notwithstanding intense kiss scenes.
Also, when he says 'Akka' in this film, it sounds strange. The scenes with Prince appear ridiculous and forced. Many scenes in this track give us an impression that the writing was subpar.
Despite its short runtime, the film feels slightly dragged out due to repetition and a routine storyline.
Overall, Siddhu Jonnalagadda's performance and humorous one-liners make "Tillu Square" entertaining. Despite the lack of magic in Siddhu-Anupama's track, the film eventually becomes a passable entertainer thanks to the dialogues and inherent charm of Tillu’s character.
Bottom line: Entertaining