NEW DELHI : After the success of Baby, the reunion of Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya together generated a lot of anticipation. The two are now seen in Epic, which was released in theatres today (September 11).
Adding to the excitement was director Aditya Haasan, who has created a strong fan following with his web series 90’s. With a popular lead pair and a promising director coming together, Epic – First Semester quickly became one of the more anticipated releases.
Story:
Aditya (Anand Deverakonda) is a middle-class young man who wants to become a Filmmaker. His parents, however, think that a respectable job will increase his chances of making a good match. Aditya reluctantly agrees to take up a course in London and has to take loans to finance his trip.
London opens up a new world, new people and most importantly, Kadali (Vaishnavi Chaitanya). Kadali is independent and vocal and immediately takes a liking to Aditya. They soon become close friends, but their chemistry is more than just a friendship. They kiss and get physical, but Kadali makes it clear their relationship should never develop into love.
Aditya agrees to her condition and finally the two start cohabitating. But there is an expiry date to their arrangement. Kadali will complete her course in nine months, and leave London. The film tracks their relationship through this period, and where the two of them end up.
What works and what doesn’t:
The biggest problem with Epic is that it has trouble telling a story that’s compelling. One is left wondering whether writer-director Aditya Hasan had a complete narrative in mind before embarking on the project, after watching the film. Sure, there are a few interesting moments, especially those meant for younger viewers, but they are mired in the middle of long stretches that feel repetitive and boring.
Epic is about two young people who live together, who develop an attraction, get intimate, have a little emotional distance and then find their way back to each other. It’s a familiar template, one that Telugu cinema has dabbled with several times before. The premise itself is not the issue, but the execution needed so much more freshness and depth.
“Aditya’s character is one of the more appealing aspects of the film. He is relatable because of his innocence, his hesitancy, his middle-class values. Anand Deverakonda brings that quality to the character naturally. Yet at times his innocence is hard to distinguish from simply playing the fool.
Kadali is much more erratic. She is presented as a sensible, mature woman with her own independent opinions, yet her characterisation shifts during the course of the film. Her ideas about relationships, intimacy and freedom sometimes don’t sound convincing. Suddenly, the character who is very casual about physical intimacy as friends becomes very emotional toward the climax feels more like a screenplay requirement than a natural progression.
The writing is especially uneven. The movie skips from friendship and attraction to chats about periods and then to love, responsibility and other relationship themes, but nothing is properly developed. There are many scenes where Aditya and Kadali sit together and discuss a problem mostly. Conversations are important in a relationship drama, but here they often serve as a substitute for real storytelling.
The climax is perhaps the biggest let down. The film just stops in the middle, it doesn’t give you any emotional payoff. It doesn’t seem like a tightly wrought conclusion, but more like the story just ran out of things to say.
Performances:
Anand Deverakonda is convincing as Aditya and carries the innocence and shyness of the character very well. His look also works for the role. There is one particular sequence involving a younger Aditya that is well done. Anand’s natural screen presence makes it hard to think of anyone else in the role.
Vaishnavi Chaitanya also gives a good performance and shares good chemistry with Anand. She slots easily into a couple of the film’s lighter and more emotional moments. The supporting cast, however, is given little to work with. MAD director Kalyan Shankar is largely restricted to phone conversations.
Technicalities:
The film’s stronger elements include the background score by Hesham Abdul Wahab. He has a knack for raising scenes with the music even when the writing is a little thin. Sanchaarame is an instantly likeable song while the others are passable.
The film is set in London, but much of the film is in the same room. This may have been a conscious choice based on the story, but it eventually becomes visually repetitive and makes the movie feel smaller than it should be.
Verdict:
Aditya Hasan’s 90s established him as a filmmaker who could create rooted, relatable stories and earned him a loyal following. That, of course, sets the bar high for his next project. Epic, unfortunately, doesn’t deliver on that promise.
The movie begins on a pretty promising note as the chemistry between Anand and Vaishnavi offers some engaging moments. But the writing starts to go astray, the second half becomes increasingly tedious, and the climax doesn’t deliver the emotional payoff the story needs.
There are some good dialogues and some relatable moments. The lead pair have given strong performances. But they can’t sustain a film that ultimately feels like an extended idea, not a fully developed story.
