| Director | Sandeep Vanga |
|---|---|
| Genre | drama film |
| Runtime | 182 min |
| Country | India |
| Budget | ₹5 crore |
| Box office | ₹51 crore |
Arjun Reddy Deshmukh is a brilliant but volatile house surgeon at St. Mary's Medical College in Mangalore. Despite his academic excellence, his severe anger management issues and impulsive behavior earn him a fearsome reputation on campus. Following an inter-college football match that escalates into a violent brawl, the college dean issues an ultimatum demanding a public apology, or Arjun will face immediate expulsion. Arjun chooses to withdraw from the institution entirely, but abruptly reverses his decision after crossing paths with Preethi Shetty, an introverted first-year student. Instantly infatuated, Arjun claims a highly protective, possessive ownership over her, managing her academic schedule and aggressively insulating her from campus harassment. Though initially intimidated, Preethi gradually reciprocates his intense affection, and the two enter into a passionate relationship. After graduating with his MBBS degree, Arjun relocates to Mussoorie to pursue a master’s degree in Orthopedic surgery, maintaining a deeply committed, long-distance relationship with Preethi over the next three years.
The relationship fractures when Arjun visits Preethi’s home to seek her family's approval for marriage. Her father, Devdas Shetty, catches the couple in an intimate moment and vehemently opposes the alliance, citing stark cultural differences and Arjun's hostile temperament. Despite warnings from his grandmother to handle the delicate situation with patience, a frustrated Arjun delivers a high-stakes ultimatum to Preethi, demanding she leave her family within six hours. When she fails to arrive in time, an enraged Arjun consumes a massive dose of sedatives and alcohol, slipping into an unresponsive slumber. During his 36-hour unconscious state, Preethi’s family forces her into an arranged marriage with a man from their own community. Upon waking, a devastated Arjun violently confronts Preethi's family, resulting in his arrest and subsequent banishment from his own family home by his disgraced father, Dhanunjay Reddy.
Arjun’s loyal best friend, Shiva, steps in to help him rebuild his life, securing him a private apartment and facilitating a position as a senior surgeon at a prominent corporate hospital. Consumed by grief and heartbreak, Arjun spirals into severe substance abuse, relying on alcohol, illicit drugs, and casual sexual encounters to numb his pain. Despite his chaotic personal life, his surgical precision remains flawless, and he quickly becomes the hospital's most prolific and respected surgeon. He later enters into a transactional, physical relationship with film actress Jia Sharma, but abruptly terminates it when she develops genuine romantic feelings for him, refusing to compromise his lingering devotion to Preethi.
Arjun’s self-destructive lifestyle inevitably catches up with him when he collapses from intoxication while performing a critical, life-saving surgery. Although the patient survives, the hospital board launches a formal medical inquiry. Arjun refuses to lie to protect his career, openly admitting to his substance abuse. Consequently, his medical license is suspended for five years and he is evicted from his apartment. He hits rock bottom until Shiva brings him back to the family home following the sudden death of Arjun's grandmother. Reconciling with his grieving father, Arjun pledges to reform, successfully detoxes from his addictions, and embarks on a restorative solo vacation.
Upon returning to the city, a clean and sober Arjun encounters a visibly pregnant Preethi at a local park. He discovers from Preethi that she never consummated her forced marriage, left her husband within days of the wedding, and had spent the intervening months working quietly at a clinic. She reveals that the child she is carrying is biologically his. After clearing their years of painful misunderstandings, Arjun and Preethi passionately reunite. They marry with the full support and blessings of Arjun's family, while a remorseful Devdas openly apologizes for his past interference.