Cast: Anand Deverakonda, Vaishnavi Chaitanya, Sivaji, Vasuki, Kalyan Shankar
Crew:
Written by Aditya Hasan
Cinematography by Azeem Mohammad
Music by Hesham Abdul Wahab
Editing by Navin Nooli
Direction by Aditya Hasan
Produced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi, Sai Soujanya
Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya, the hit pair from Baby, come together again for Epic: First Semester. Directed by Aditya Hasan, this film explores young love and live-in relationships with a London backdrop. The movie released today, and let's discuss it in detail.
Plot:
Aditya (Anand) is a soft-spoken middle-class boy from Wanaparthy who goes to London for higher studies. There, he meets Kadali (Vaishnavi), an independent and bold girl from Vizag. Their casual connection quickly turns into a live-in relationship.
As time passes, ego clashes, intimacy issues, and the struggles of living in a foreign country start to pull them apart. How they deal with these conflicts and how it impacts Aditya's father (Sivaji) forms the rest of the story.
Analysis:
Anand Deverakonda is perfectly cast as the innocent and slightly awkward Aditya. His conversations with Vaishnavi feel natural, and he handles the emotional beats well. Vaishnavi Chaitanya delivers a strong performance, bringing a required unpredictability to the bold and vulnerable Kadali. Their chemistry remains the film's biggest asset, capturing the tension and tenderness of modern relationships with candor.
However, the film’s major drawback is its pacing and writing. While the initial interactions and comedy by Kalyan Shankar are engaging, the narrative becomes severely repetitive in the middle portions. The couple’s conversations circle the same emotional conflicts without moving the story forward. The emotional high points, especially the heartfelt scenes involving Sivaji, arrive too late after the audience's patience has been tested by a sluggish screenplay.
Technically, Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music is a standout, elevating many silent and ordinary moments. The cinematography by Azeem Mohammad successfully captures the mood, but Navin Nooli’s editing could have been much sharper. Trimming 15-20 minutes would have vastly improved the film. Overall, Epic has its heart in the right place but falters due to a tedious narrative.
Positives:
Anand and Vaishnavi's chemistry
Good performances by the lead pair and Sivaji
Hesham Abdul Wahab's music
Negatives:
Very slow pace
Repetitive and boring screenplay
Lack of strong conflict
Abrupt ending
Rating: 2/5
Bottomline:
Epic relies purely on the lead pair's chemistry but tests your patience with a slow, dragging narrative.
Disclaimer: The views/opinions expressed in this review are personal views/opinions shared by the writer and organisation does not hold a liability to them. Viewers' discretion is advised before reacting to them.
