Cast: Anand Deverakonda, Vaishnavi Chaitanya, Srinivas Gavireddy, Sivaji, Vasuki Anand, Kalyan Shankar, and others
After the success of Baby, Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya reunite for Epic-First Semester. The film revolves around a live-in relationship and attempts to explore modern love, independence, and intimacy through a youthful lens. Unfortunately, the excitement ends there. A sluggish screenplay and lacklustre narration drain the energy from what could have been an interesting contemporary relationship drama. It also turns out to be a promotional video of the UK and its scenic spots.
The biggest problem is the male lead Anand’s innocence, which becomes increasingly tiresome. His naivety in almost everything, particularly love and relationships, feels forced rather than natural. In contrast, the female lead is bold, practical, and emotionally detached, believing that love should not necessarily be driven by emotions. The difference between the two could have created compelling conflict, but the writing fails to make the most of it.
The story follows a graduate from Wanaparthy who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. His father, however, insists that he go abroad for higher studies and sends him to the UK. There, he joins college and befriends a fellow student. The two hit it off and eventually decide to live together. What happens after that forms the rest of the story.
Director Aditya Haasan struggles to turn this premise into a compelling feature. The film often feels like an extended web series, with repetitive characters, lengthy conversations, and situations that fail to move the story forward. The slow-paced screenplay and amateurish dialogues are easily the film’s biggest drawback.
The director also seems to rely heavily on conversations about sex and periods to establish the film as bold and contemporary. But simply making lovers discuss sex does not make a film progressive or daring. The repeated references, along with the visual emphasis on details such as bloodstains on the bed, feel unnecessary and excessive. These subjects could have been handled with considerably more sensitivity and subtlety.
The female character is another major weakness. Though she is introduced as a modern and independent woman, her motivations become increasingly confusing as the story progresses. Her reasons for wanting an independent life feel forced, and the character arc eventually falls flat. Vaishnavi Chaitanya nevertheless gives a sincere performance and convincingly portrays the confident and practical side of the character, doing her best to salvage a poorly defined role.
Anand Deverakonda’s performance suffers because the innocence demanded by the character never feels completely organic. Sivaji reminds one of his familiar 90s television roles, while Vasuki Anand and Kalyan Shankar simply fit into their respective parts.
Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music is one of the film’s few strengths. The songs Sancharame and Priya Sakhi stand out. The cinematography gives the film a bright and colourful look, particularly in the UK portions, while the production design and sets are neatly executed.
Director Aditya’s attempts to make a youthful and bold love story but is largely superficial, while the slow narration and poorly defined characters make it a tedious watch. What could have been a fresh take on modern relationships instead turns into a mediocre and frustrating relationship drama.
