Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam (transl. Arjun's wedding in the garden of Ashoka trees) is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film. Vidya Sagar Chinta directed it, and Ravi Kiran Kola wrote the story. SVCC Digital produced the film, which features Vishwak Sen, Rukshar Dhillon, and Ritika Nayak in leading roles. The story follows Arjun Kumar Allam, a 33-year-old unmarried man who becomes engaged to Madhavi. However, Madhavi runs away before their wedding takes place.

Viplav Nyshadam edited the film, and Pavi K Pavan handled the camera work. The music was composed by Jay Krish. The film was released on May 6, 2022. A Tamil version of the film, titled Love Marriage, was released in 2025.

Plot

Arjun Kumar Allam is a 33-year-old man from Suryapet in Telangana. His family could not find a girl in their community, so they made an agreement with a family in Ashokapuram Village in Andhra Pradesh. They traveled to Ashokapuram for the engagement ceremony with Madhavi. Arjun wanted to speak with Madhavi, but she seemed shy and spoke little. Madhavi has a younger sister named Vasudha, who is more talkative. During the wedding photoshoot, Arjun noticed that Madhavi was crying. As Arjun's family prepared to leave for their town, their bus broke down, causing them to stay in the same house for a few more days. Attempts to leave the house were blocked when the government imposed a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arjun left a paper with his phone number, and Madhavi began chatting with him on WhatsApp, which made him happy. Because of a mistake, Arjun tried to kiss Madhavi, and she slapped him. Arjun later realized that Vasudha had been talking to him all along, and he had mistakenly believed it was Madhavi. When the elders agreed to move the wedding date earlier, Arjun said he needed time to decide. Vasudha learned that Arjun had been slapped by Madhavi and tried to fix the misunderstanding. Vasudha discovered that Madhavi was in love with another boy from her college, and her parents had forced her into the engagement. Because of Vasudha, Madhavi apologized to Arjun. Arjun agreed to the wedding and told the elders.

The next day, everyone was surprised when Madhavi ran away with another boy. This caused an argument between the families. As Arjun's family tried to leave the village, the local MLA, Rajaram, and police forced them to return to Madhavi's house because of the lockdown. Rajaram ordered volunteers to collect signatures daily from everyone until the lockdown ended. A frustrated Arjun drank with his relatives and blamed them for the conflict. Arjun had an argument with Vasudha, who came to comfort him and asked if she would have married someone like him. Vasudha began to think about this.

Meanwhile, Arjun's pregnant sister, Vidya Sivalenka, experienced pain and was admitted to the hospital. Vasudha helped Arjun travel to the hospital and arranged food for his sister. Arjun saved Vasudha from some men in the village market, and Vasudha told him she liked him. When Arjun's sister asked about Vasudha's marriage, Vasudha said she needed at least three more years to handle her family's financial responsibilities. Arjun became frustrated because he was 33 years old and felt pressure from his parents and relatives to marry soon. When Vasudha showed Arjun random wedding photos, he quickly said yes to everyone without looking at the pictures. Vasudha felt bad and told him to look at the girl carefully next time, as his heart might stop if she was the right person for him.

Arjun's brother-in-law arrived with permission slips and arrangements to take everyone home. Around the same time, the local police informed Madhavi's father about Madhavi and her boyfriend, Vikram. Vikram explained that Madhavi had left the house because her family used caste as a reason to block the wedding. Madhavi could not stay away from her father for long and decided to return home to convince her parents. This caused more conflict between the families. The next day, as they prepared to leave the house, Arjun looked at Vasudha and slowly realized she was the right person for him. He stopped the car halfway and told his parents he wanted to marry Vasudha and was ready to wait until she was ready.

Arjun returned to the village and proposed to Vasudha, saying he would wait for her as long as she needed. Vasudha happily agreed, and their marriage took place after three years.

Production

The film was released on April 16, 2021, in Hyderabad. Vidya Sagar Chinta directed the film and previously worked on the movies Raja Vaaru Rani Gaaru and Falaknuma Das as a cinematographer. Ravi Kiran Kola wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogues for the film and is also the showrunner.

Release

The movie was shown in movie theaters worldwide on May 6, 2022. It was first available to watch online on Aha starting June 3, 2022.

Reception

A reviewer from The Hans India gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam is a fun movie for families from Tollywood this summer. The story is honest, the movie is well made, and the actors perform well." Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India gave the film a rating of 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam is a movie that makes you remember the past when you watch it." Arvind V of Pinkvilla gave the film a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Vishwak Sen's good acting makes the story easier to watch." Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote, "Vishwak Sen's strong performance helps tell a warm story about life and marriage."