Laila Review: Vishwak Sen's Laila – A Complete Misfire, Stay Away!

After two consecutive box office failures—Gangs of Godavari and Mechanic Rocky—Vishwak Sen returns to theatres with Laila. This time, he collaborates with debutant director Ram Narayan, whose previous work, Battala Ramaswamy Biopikku, was a direct-to-digital release. The film’s promotional material, particularly Vishwak Sen’s female getup, piqued initial interest. However, the pre-release event stirred controversy due to actor Prudhviraj’s unnecessary remarks. The big question remains: Did Laila break Vishwak Sen’s flop streak, or is it another forgettable outing? Let’s analyze.

Plot Summary

Sonu Model (Vishwak Sen) runs a beauty parlour in Hyderabad’s Old City, earning a solid reputation among the local women for his makeup skills. In an attempt to help a client, he agrees to become the brand ambassador for her husband’s cooking oil business. However, this decision entangles him in unforeseen troubles. How does Sonu find himself in a crisis? Why does he transition from Sonu to Laila? And what unfolds after this transformation? The film attempts to answer these questions in a rather chaotic manner.

Performances

Vishwak Sen deserves credit for embracing a female disguise throughout the second half, but his performance is restricted by a poorly written character. Akanksha Sharma, the lead actress, offers nothing beyond glamour, delivering a subpar performance. Most actors in the film appear directionless.

Abhimanyu Singh gets ample screen time and manages to evoke occasional laughs. However, Babloo Prithiveeraj and Vineet Kumar, portraying a Megastar Chiranjeevi fan, are excessively loud and irksome. Kamakshi Bhaskarla, playing Abhimanyu Singh’s wife, gives a decent performance in a crucial role. Social media personality Sunishith appears as himself, yet his presence fails to generate comedy. Even 30-Years Prudhvi, typically a reliable source of humor, delivers flat scenes.

Technical Aspects

Vishwak Sen’s films usually feature at least one noteworthy song, but Laila fails in the music department. Leon James, who previously composed decent tracks for Vishwak Sen, falls short here. The background score is forgettable, with only the song Icchukundam Baby standing out slightly. Richard Prasad’s cinematography and Sagar Dadi’s editing are merely serviceable.

The real culprits are writer Vasudeva Murthy and director Ram Narayan. The script lacks originality, and the direction feels directionless, relying on outdated tropes. However, Shine Screens’ production values are commendable, with the Old City set appearing visually authentic. Producer Sahu Garapati ensured a polished look, but the content itself is uninspiring.

Positives

A couple of comedy scenes

Decent production values

Negatives

Outdated writing and execution

Excessive double entendres

Weak storyline

Poorly written female lead

Forgettable songs

Analysis

Vishwak Sen began his career with promising films like Falaknuma Das, HIT: The First Case, Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam, and Ori Devuda. However, his recent attempt to transition into a ‘mass hero’ has backfired, with Gangs of Godavari, Mechanic Rocky, and now Laila showcasing his questionable script choices.

From the outset, Laila bombards viewers with outdated slapstick humor. The romantic track between Vishwak Sen and Akanksha Sharma is poorly developed and relies heavily on glamour. Despite a cast filled with experienced actors, none leave a lasting impact due to weakly written roles. Only a few scenes featuring Abhimanyu Singh’s family provide momentary relief.

The film runs for two hours and sixteen minutes, padded with unnecessary fights and songs, indicating a severe lack of content. The attempt to incorporate Hyderabad’s Old City slang into comedy results in crude, below-the-belt humor that quickly becomes tiresome.

Vishwak Sen is undoubtedly a capable actor who can shine in well-written roles, but Laila is yet another misfire. His reliance on excessive profanity and cheap humor to attract younger audiences is a poor strategy. The second half, featuring Sonu’s transformation into Laila, is filled with distasteful comedy that fails miserably.

Final Verdict

A weak first half, an even worse second half, and a complete lack of engaging storytelling make Laila a forgettable outing. The film is best skipped in theatres and perhaps considered for a digital watch only when there’s absolutely nothing else to do.

Bottom Line: Laila – A Complete Misfire!