Tillu Square is A No-Spoiler Take on the 2024 Telugu Crime Comedy
Sequels have a tricky job. They need to feel familiar, but not stale. They need to bring back what people loved, but also justify their own runtime. Tillu Square walks into that problem with confidence, noise, and a hero who talks faster than his situation can keep up.
This spoiler-free Tillu Square movie review is for three kinds of viewers: fans who still quote DJ Tillu, comedy-first moviegoers who just want a high-energy ride, and anyone in the US deciding whether it’s a good pick for a Netflix night (as of January 2026, it’s available there).
The big questions are simple: Is it as funny as the first film? Does the story hold together? And is it worth two hours?
Tillu Square quick facts (cast, director, runtime, where to watch)
Here’s a quick snapshot, with opinions saved for later.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Title | Tillu Square |
| Year | 2024 |
| Language | Telugu |
| Genre | Crime comedy |
| Director | Mallik Ram |
| Producers | Suryadevara Naga Vamsi, Sai Soujanya |
| Production banners | Sithara Entertainments, Fortune Four Cinemas |
| Lead cast | Siddhu Jonnalagadda (Tillu), Anupama Parameswaran (Lilly) |
| Key supporting cast | Murali Sharma, Brahmaji, Prince Cecil, Muralidhar Goud, Praneeth Reddy Kallem, Fish Venkat, Tagubothu Ramesh |
| Runtime | 2 hours 3 minutes |
| Where to watch (US) | Netflix (as of Jan 2026) |
| Theatrical release date | March 29, 2024 |
Is Tillu Square a sequel to DJ Tillu, and can a new viewer follow it?
Yes, Tillu Square is a direct follow-up to DJ Tillu (2022). It’s set about a year after the earlier film, and it keeps the same “Tillu attracts chaos like a magnet” core idea.
A new viewer can still follow the basics. The movie explains enough about who Tillu is (a loud, charming mess of a man) and why trouble sticks to him. But it plays better with a little context, since the humor is built around his personality and the way he reacts to crisis.
A simple recap approach works best: know that Tillu is a talkative, street-smart guy whose life often turns into a chain of mistakes, misunderstandings, and lucky escapes. That’s enough to understand the sequel’s mood without needing every detail from the first film.
Spoiler-free story setup, tone, and pacing
Tillu Square starts with Tillu trying to level up his life. He’s no longer just surviving on hustle and bravado. He’s running an event management business, chasing money, clout, and a version of stability that always seems slightly out of reach.
Then a party changes the temperature. He meets Lilly, sparks fly quickly, and the film pushes him into a messy situation that mixes romance, disappearance, sudden returns, and a trail of crime-related confusion. The story keeps moving, and it wants the audience to keep up without stopping to ask for a map.
The overall vibe is comedy-first, chaos-forward. The movie likes quick reversals, loud reactions, and scenes that feel like they’re built to set up the next punchline. The pacing in the first half tends to feel brisk and playful, often riding on Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s rhythm rather than plot logic.
The second half is where the film asks for more patience. It stacks twists and explanations in a tighter space, and some viewers may feel it’s either rushed (because it throws a lot at the screen) or stretched (because it circles the same energy beats). It’s not a slow movie, but it can feel busy, like a room where everyone’s talking at once, and Tillu is trying to run the meeting.
For a mainstream sequel, that choice makes sense. The movie isn’t trying to be a neat crime story. It’s trying to be an entertaining mess that stays funny while the stakes rise.
A useful reference point for the film’s generally positive critical tone is The Hindu’s review of Tillu Square, which highlights how much the sequel leans on Siddhu’s strengths and familiar energy.
The kind of comedy that delivers (one-liners, situations, and Tillu’s energy)
The comedy style is loud, fast, and dialogue-driven. One-liners land frequently, and the humor often comes from Tillu’s overconfidence colliding with reality. He talks his way into situations, then tries to talk his way out, and the gap between what he thinks he’s doing and what’s actually happening becomes the joke.
There’s also a steady stream of situational comedy. The film places Tillu in high-pressure moments and lets his instincts make things worse, then funnier. It’s like watching someone attempt a tightrope walk while carrying a drum kit. Even if the person doesn’t fall, the wobble is the entertainment.
This works best for viewers who like:
- Talk-heavy comedy with slangy punchlines
- Big reactions and exaggerated setups
- A lead actor who performs like he’s always on stage
It may not work as well for viewers who want subtle humor, long, quiet builds, or comedy that depends on realism.
How the crime and mystery pieces work (twists, confusion, and clarity)
The crime and mystery angle is more of a vehicle than the main course. The plot keeps adding reveals, double-backs, and “wait, so that’s why” moments. It’s meant to keep the audience curious, even if they’re mostly there for laughs.
When it works, it gives the movie momentum. There’s a playful tension in watching Tillu get dragged deeper while still acting like he can charm his way out. When it doesn’t, the mystery can feel thin, like the story is doing paperwork between jokes.
Clarity can also be an issue in the back half. The film explains itself, but it sometimes does it at speed, and the emotional stakes can get lost in the noise. Still, the movie usually knows its priority: keep Tillu entertaining, even if the plot has loose screws.
Performance and characters, who shine and who feel underwritten
Tillu Square lives and dies on performance. The writing gives plenty of room for comedy, but the actors have to sell the rhythm, especially when scenes bounce between flirting, panic, and suspicion.
The supporting cast helps keep the film buoyant. Familiar faces show up to heighten situations, react to Tillu’s nonsense, or briefly ground the story before it spins again. Characters played by performers like Murali Sharma and Brahmaji tend to add texture, even when their roles aren’t deeply explored.
Where the film sometimes struggles is with character depth. It doesn’t always slow down enough to make every motivation feel earned. Some roles exist mainly to push the next reveal, and viewers who want richer character arcs may notice the shortcuts.
Siddhu Jonnalagadda as Tillu, the movie’s biggest strength
Siddhu Jonnalagadda is the reason the sequel works as well as it does. His comic timing is sharp, and he treats even routine lines like they’re opportunities to perform. The character could’ve become annoying in lesser hands, since Tillu is selfish at times, impulsive often, and rarely quiet.
Instead, Siddhu makes him watchable. He brings a sly warmth that keeps Tillu from feeling like a pure gag machine. Even when the plot feels tangled, he keeps scenes moving through energy alone.
Fans of DJ Tillu will recognize the same core appeal: a hero who behaves like he’s narrating his own life as a highlight reel. The sequel doesn’t need to copy every beat from the earlier film, because Siddhu’s style is already the connective tissue. His presence turns basic setups into moments people remember.
Anupama Parameswaran as Lilly, chemistry, and character depth
Anupama Parameswaran plays Lilly with a mix of charm and mystery. The character is designed to raise questions, and the movie often frames her as the person who can shift the story with a single choice.
The romance angle is a mixed bag. The film wants quick chemistry, and at times it gets it, especially in lighter scenes where the banter has room to breathe. But as the plot thickens, Lilly’s writing can feel less steady, which affects how convincing the emotional stakes become.
Some viewers will enjoy the unpredictability of her role. Others may feel the character is more of a narrative lever than a fully rounded person. Either way, Lilly’s presence matters because the film’s mystery depends on how the audience reads her, and how much they believe Tillu’s attachment.
What works, what does not, and the final verdict (should they watch it?)
What works is easy to name: Siddhu’s performance, the rapid-fire dialogue, and the movie’s commitment to being a comedy even when it’s playing with crime-story tools. When the jokes hit, the film feels light on its feet, like it’s sprinting through trouble while laughing.
What doesn’t land as cleanly is the story structure. It can feel like a familiar sequel template, bigger scenes, louder stakes, more twists, without always tightening the logic underneath. Viewers looking for a clean, satisfying mystery may leave with questions that aren’t the fun kind.
Reception has reflected that split. The movie has drawn both strong praise and clear complaints, often depending on whether the viewer came for Tillu’s humor or for the crime plot to click perfectly. Ratings also shift over time. For the latest audience score and user reactions, it’s best to check the film’s current page on IMDb’s Tillu Square listing, where the rating has hovered around the mid-6s to low-7s range at different points.
As a time commitment, 2 hours and 3 minutes is reasonable for a mainstream comedy sequel. It’s not a “watch while checking emails” movie, though. It throws details quickly, and attention helps, even if the film isn’t aiming for realism.
Final verdict: Tillu Square is worth watching for viewers who want a high-energy comedy carried by a charismatic lead. It’s less satisfying for viewers who need a tight crime narrative and consistent emotional grounding.
Who should watch Tillu Square, and who should skip it
Best for:
- Viewers who enjoyed Siddhu Jonnalagadda’s Tillu persona in DJ Tillu
- Fans of loud, dialogue-heavy comedy and meme-ready punchlines
- Anyone who likes chaotic “one problem becomes five problems” storytelling
Not ideal for:
- Viewers who want a tight crime mystery with minimal confusion
- Those hoping for a deeply written romance arc
- Anyone tired of sequel patterns that favor scale over structure
Conclusion
This Tillu Square movie review comes down to one simple point: the sequel is fun when it lets Tillu do what he does best, talk, panic, flirt, and improvise his way through disaster. The story can wobble, but the entertainment value stays mostly intact. As of January 2026, it’s streaming on Netflix, which makes it an easy pick for a comedy-forward movie night. After watching, the real debate starts: did it feel better than DJ Tillu, or did the first film still win on charm?