Vishwak Sen in two characters in ‘Laila’
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Telugu film Laila, directed by Ram Narayan and starring Vishwak Sen, outlined its premise clearly in its promotional material. The story revolves around a man forced to disguise himself as a woman to escape a group of men out for his blood — only to be ogled at by the very same pursuers. The trailer openly hinted at the double entendres and adult humour in store. However, the film’s issues extend far beyond its tasteless comedy. The narrative aggressively doubles down on crass, regressive tropes, making nearly every sequence leading up to and following the disguise an ordeal to sit through.
Take, for example, a subplot where a family rejects multiple prospective brides because they are not “beautiful” enough to match the glamour of heroines from Chiranjeevi’s blockbuster films. Their eventual choice — a fair-skinned, stunning bride — shatters their illusions when her makeup wears off, revealing dark skin. The son is devastated, while the father, in apparent shock, is nearly paralysed. It is hard to believe that such tone-deaf sequences, masquerading as comedy, are still being written in 2025.
This is just one example of the many troubling ideas Laila, with its writing credited to Vasudeva Murthy,presents in the guise of entertainment. The film attempts to redeem itself towards the end with a half-hearted message about beauty being more than skin deep, but that does little to justify the tone-deaf and regressive storytelling leading up to it.
‘Laila’ (Telugu)
Director: Ram Narayan
Cast: Vishwak Sen, Akanksha Sharma
Run time: 136 minutes
Storyline: A man disguises himself as a woman and ends up being ogled at by the same men he is trying to flee.
Laila leans heavily on its protagonist, Sonu (Vishwak Sen), a beauty parlour owner in Hyderabad’s Old City, adored by the local women. The film would have us believe that none of these women can so much as groom themselves without visiting his parlour. Even if one were to dismiss this as a lame joke, Laila bombards the audience with one tasteless sequence after another.
Soon, Sonu earns the ire of a local cop (Prithiveeraj), a butcher (Abhimanyu Singh), and a host of other caricatured antagonists. Meanwhile, he woos fitness trainer Jenny (Akanksha Sharma), and the camera wastes no opportunity to objectify her.
To call Laila outdated would be an understatement. Stalking, objectifying women, treating them as props, and making skin colour the subject of humour — these problematic elements have long plagued mainstream cinema. Laila, however, takes them to a new low by cramming them all together and building a narrative around crude, unfunny gags. By the time reality catches up with the so-called villains and they realise they have been duped, the audience is simply relieved that the ordeal is finally over.
Attempts to evoke sympathy through Sonu’s relationship with his late mother or his camaraderie with the women in his life fail to salvage the narrative. Even referencing Chiranjeevi blockbusters cannot save a film this bad. Laila is without a single redeeming quality.
Perhaps Vishwak Sen intended to pander to his ‘mass ka das’ image, but this is a misstep. Having delivered commendable performances in HIT: The First Case, Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam, Gaami, and even the recent Mechanic Rocky, which at least had a surprise twist, he squanders his potential here. Mass appeal does not have to be synonymous with crass storytelling, and Laila is a glaring example of what happens when filmmakers forget that distinction.
(‘Laila’ is currently running in theatres)
Published – February 14, 2025 01:34 pm IST
