EPIC Passes With Chemistry, Music and Mild Chaos
Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya bring warmth to a polished romance that occasionally misplaces its screenplay.
This is Telangana.Social's opinion — a house verdict formed from the trailer, cast, buzz and reception, not a substitute for seeing it yourself.
EPIC – First Semester arrives with a London setting, youthful emotional turbulence and the familiar academic burden of being a Telugu romance. Fortunately, it has enough spark to avoid supplementary exams.
Written and directed by Aditya Haasan, the film wisely leans on the natural chemistry between Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya, reuniting after Baby. Anand brings an easy, appealing looseness, while Vaishnavi supplies the emotional centre without turning every feeling into a public-service announcement. Their performances give the film its most convincing energy: awkward, funny, impulsive and open-hearted.
The trailer promised a slightly bolder campus-adjacent romance, and the finished film appears to honour that mood without confusing loudness for maturity. The comedy lands often enough, the production looks suitably polished, and Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music does valuable structural work. “Sancharam” has already done its share of promotional lifting, while “Sabko” keeps the campaign humming along.
Sivaji and Vasuki add dependable support, but this is principally a two-lead show. The film reportedly loses some writing discipline towards the end, a familiar ailment in romances that begin with more confidence than they know how to spend. Still, the warmth, performances and music make the journey inviting.
Watch it for the chemistry, stay for the songs, and forgive the screenplay for graduating with attendance rather than distinction.
The verdict: Worth the ticket.