One of Allu Arjun’s most iconic films, Arya turned 20 years old on May 7, 2024. To celebrate this occasion, a grand event was held which saw Allu Arjun, director Sukumar, producer Dil Raju, and other notable figures making their presence felt.
At the 20-year celebration event for Arya, actor Allu Arjun revealed a core memory of the film’s release and its initial reception.
Allu Arjun recalls when people dismissed Arya as a 10-week film
At the event, Allu Arjun recalled a firm memory during the film’s release. He said, “I still remember the initial few days during the film’s release. The memory is firm in my head. In those days, if a film ran for 10 weeks, it wasn’t considered a success. A film had to run for a minimum of 100 days to be considered a success.”
Talking about how he felt when he first watched Arya, Allu Arjun said, “When Sukumar and I first saw the copy, we were so excited and we went to the theatre to watch the film. But the occupancy was only 40 percent on the opening day because it was a new film.”
The actor added, “Looking at the audience reaction in the theatres, we were confident that the numbers would pick up by the matinee and evening shows.”
Speaking on the film’s reception at the time, Allu Arjun revealed that the industry trackers reported only a 10-week run for the film. He recalled how he felt dull and distressed upon hearing this. “Is this not a 100-day film?” Arjun thought to himself at the time.
Despite reports, Allu Arjun’s gut feeling told him that it would be a 100-day film. He believed that the audience count would definitely increase. However, everyone kept telling Allu Arjun and Sukumar that 10 weeks was great for a film like Arya and that only made them feel worse.
“I think it was the second day, I was sitting in the dining hall with my dad. He asked me why I was so upset. Do you know how big of a deal 10 weeks is? Some people dream of a 10-week run, he told me,” the Pushpa actor said.
When Allu Arjun said he would change his name if Arya didn’t get the 125-day shield. “Then I don’t know what got into me, I said it in a rage that if I don’t take the 125-day shield, I will change my name. Call it a fluke or call it my madness but I took the 125-day shield from Chiranjeevi Garu,” the actor said as the entire crowd applauded his statements.
More about Arya
Arya is a Telugu language romantic comedy film starring Allu Arjun, Anu Mehta, Balaji, and Sunil in important roles. The film has been written and directed by Sukumar and produced by Dil Raju under the SVC banner.
ALSO READ: PHOTOS: Allu Arjun makes Pushpa-style entry at Arya 20-year celebration party
