Epic Movie Review: Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya’s Love Story Struggles After a Promising Start

Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya return as a lead pair in Epic, a romantic drama directed by Aditya Hassan. The film marks Hassan’s first feature film after gaining recognition for the series 90s – A Middle Class Biopic. With the Baby pair coming together again, expectations were naturally high. But does Epic manage to create the same impact with a completely different relationship story?

A Relationship That Begins in London

Epic follows Aditya, a young man from Wanaparthy who dreams of becoming a filmmaker despite struggling academically. His ambitions, however, do not align with his father’s expectations. He eventually travels to London to pursue an MS degree, even though it is not the path he initially wanted.

On his first day at college, he meets Kadali, played by Vaishnavi Chaitanya. Their friendship gradually develops into a live-in relationship. Interestingly, the two enter the relationship with an understanding that they will enjoy their time together while studying abroad and eventually go their separate ways.

The central question of the film is what happens when that seemingly simple arrangement becomes emotionally complicated.

The Film’s Biggest Strength: Natural Conversations

One of the most noticeable aspects of Epic is its attempt to portray a relationship without turning every moment into conventional cinematic drama.

The early portions concentrate on Aditya and Kadali getting to know each other. Their conversations, everyday interactions and gradual closeness are presented in a relatively natural manner. Instead of immediately relying on exaggerated romantic sequences or dramatic twists, the film spends time establishing how the two characters connect.

This approach works particularly well during the first half. The chemistry between the leads gives the movie an easy-going quality, and their interactions provide several pleasant moments.

The UK setting also adds visual appeal, with cinematographer Azeem Mohammed making the most of the locations.

Where Epic Starts Losing Momentum

The film’s biggest problem emerges once conflict enters the relationship.

The director appears determined to show how a relationship can change after the excitement of falling in love gives way to familiarity. While that idea has potential, the storytelling becomes increasingly slow once Aditya and Kadali begin facing problems.

The situations themselves are not particularly surprising, and the extended conversations surrounding them do not always generate enough emotional tension. Some sequences can feel stretched, making the second half less engaging than the opening portions.

The movie also touches upon subjects such as periods and mood changes. These topics are not inherently out of place in a contemporary relationship story, but their presentation sometimes feels more deliberate than organic.

As the couple moves toward separation, the emotional impact that should ideally build during this phase does not consistently reach the required intensity.

Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya Impress

Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya have the difficult task of moving beyond the shadow of their previous collaboration, Baby. In Epic, they take on noticeably different personalities and largely succeed in making their new characters feel distinct.

Anand fits naturally into the role of a young man from a small town who finds himself in London. His mannerisms and expressions help communicate Aditya’s personality without making the character feel overly theatrical.

Vaishnavi plays Kadali as a modern, confident young woman with a personality quite different from Anand’s character. Her performance is convincing, and the film gives her opportunities to explore a more mature side of her acting.

The supporting cast includes Shivaji and Vasuki as the hero’s parents. Kalyan Shankar and Srinivas Gavireddy provide some lighter moments, although the film largely remains focused on its central couple.

Music and Technical Aspects

Hesham Abdul Wahab handles the music for Epic. While the film does not appear to rely heavily on chart-topping songs, the music is used to support the progression of the story. The background score contributes to the mood in several scenes, although it is reportedly louder than necessary in some portions.

Azeem Mohammed’s cinematography is another positive. The UK backdrop gives the film an attractive visual identity, while the production values from Sithara Entertainments are maintained at the level expected for the story.

Aditya Hassan shows promise as both writer and director, particularly when it comes to creating conversational scenes and capturing relationship dynamics. However, the screenplay becomes less effective when it moves into the conflict and separation portions of the story.

Final Verdict

Epic starts with a refreshing idea: observe a young relationship through ordinary conversations and everyday experiences rather than forcing unnecessary cinematic twists. The first half benefits from the chemistry between Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya, as well as the film’s naturalistic approach.

However, the same realism becomes a limitation in the later portions. Once the relationship enters troubled territory, the narrative slows down considerably and struggles to maintain the charm established earlier.

The film concludes with a lead-in toward a possible continuation, referred to as the “Final Semester” in the closing portion.

Overall, Epic has some appealing performances and several well-observed relationship moments, but its slow second half and routine conflict prevent it from becoming a particularly memorable romantic drama.

Rating: 2.25/5