Critics, including many feminists and mental health professionals, see the film as a digital Molotov cocktail in a society already grappling with high rates of violence against women. They point to the numerous toxic behaviors Arjun exhibits: the possessive "love" that involves physical shoving, the public humiliation of his partner, the casual misogyny, and the alarming message that a woman’s autonomy (Preeti’s decision to marry someone else) is merely a problem for the man to solve.
: Their relationship is torn apart by Preethi’s father due to caste differences and Arjun’s volatile behavior. The Downward Spiral Arjun Reddy Movie
Supporters argue that Arjun Reddy is not a how-to guide; it’s a case study. They praise the film for showing the ugly, unglamorous reality of clinical depression and substance abuse, stripped of the poetic sadness seen in films like Devdas . Arjun is not a hero; he is a deeply flawed man who hits rock bottom. The ending, they contend, isn’t a celebration of his behavior but an aspirational fantasy of recovery—a man pulling himself out of the gutter, not because of his toxicity, but despite it. The Downward Spiral Supporters argue that Arjun Reddy