EPIC: First Semester Review: Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya reunite for a new-age love drama that explores relationships, career choices and the pressures faced by young people living abroad.

Introduction
A section of today’s filmmakers is trying to attract audiences with stories centred on Gen Z. EPIC: First Semester belongs to the same space and is presented as a new-age love drama. Its trailer, featuring bold content, was also designed to draw the attention of young audiences.Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya, who became a popular pair after Baby, play the lead roles in this film. Directed by Aditya Haasan, EPIC: First Semester is set in the same world as his successful web series #90s – A Middle Class Biopic. The film is produced by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas.

Plot
The story revolves around Aditya (Anand Deverakonda), the son of Chandrasekhar (Sivaji) from the #90s web series. After completing his graduation, Aditya dreams of becoming a film director. He makes short films and tries to impress producers in the hope of getting an opportunity. However, his mother thinks higher education could improve his marriage prospects and bring a better dowry, while his father believes studying further will help him settle down quickly. 

Under pressure from his family, Aditya leaves for London for higher studies. His plan, however, is to finish his education, return to India and continue pursuing his filmmaking dream.At a university in London, he meets Kadali (Vaishnavi Chaitanya), a Telugu girl. Within hours of meeting each other, they feel attracted to one another. Eventually, they begin a live-in relationship.

What happens after that? Do Aditya and Kadali eventually get married? Do they share the same views about marriage? What decisions does Aditya make when he has to choose between his career and marriage? These questions form the rest of EPIC: First Semester.

Analysis
Some filmmakers of this generation seem to associate Gen Z stories mainly with co-living, live-in relationships, modern lifestyles, complicated bonds and the problems arising from them. They then build convenient stories and situations around these elements. EPIC: First Semester falls into a similar category.
The film attempts to portray the lives of a young man and woman from the present generation who travel to London for their careers and face different situations there. However, rather than focusing strongly on their education or career struggles, the director appears more interested in elements intended to attract younger audiences. 

The story seems to have been written with the assumption that today’s youth will easily connect with these situations. However, it is difficult to believe that everyone will relate to the immature decisions made by the lead characters. Rather than feeling like a realistic portrayal of young people living abroad, the film often gives the impression that we are watching the struggles of a deliberately cinematic couple in London. 

Apart from the humour generated by the hero’s innocence, the film offers little entertainment. The slow pace throughout the film, along with lengthy conversations between the lead pair, becomes tiring. As a result, only a limited section of the audience may emotionally connect with Aditya and Kadali and travel with them through their journey.Since the story continues the world of #90s – A Middle Class Biopic, the initial portions feel like watching an extended web series on the big screen. 

Both the story and screenplay move slowly. One expects the narrative to gain momentum once Aditya reaches London, but that expectation is not fully met. Apart from the romance and bold scenes between the lead characters, there are very few sequences that generate genuine interest. In one scene, Aditya’s father Chandrasekhar gives him a word and asks him to explain its different meanings. The film itself creates a similar feeling: the same central issue is repeatedly presented through different situations and conversations.

However, one aspect that can connect with middle-class youth is the pressure placed on a young man who moves abroad. The film makes an effort to show the burden of family expectations and the internal conflict he faces while trying to balance his career and marriage.

While the first half generates moderate interest, EPIC: First Semester loses its grip in the second half. Considering the amount of bold content in the film, it is also questionable how strongly it will connect with family audiences.The makers had indicated during promotions that the film would have an ending that leads into another part. As expected, the climax does not provide complete closure. Director Aditya Haasan has also confirmed that the story will continue with EPIC: Final Semester.Still, the incomplete nature of the ending may not feel convincing to viewers watching this film as an individual story, and it ultimately works against the overall experience.


Performances
Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya give strong performances as Aditya and Kadali. Both actors perform naturally, and their characters offer enough scope to showcase their acting abilities.

Anand Deverakonda impresses particularly as an innocent young man and also handles the emotional sequences effectively. Vaishnavi Chaitanya matches him well, and the two deliver competitive performances in their scenes together.

Director Kalyan Shankar and Gavireddy Srinivasa Reddy, who appear as the hero’s friends, generate laughs in a few portions.

Technical Aspects
Hesham Abdul Wahab’s songs and background score are among the film’s positives. The film’s cinematography is handled by Azeem Mohammad, while Navin Nooli is the editor.

Director Aditya Haasan appears to have planned this story in two parts, treating them like two semesters. This creates the impression that he intends to present the major emotional payoff in the next chapter and has therefore deliberately left First Semester incomplete.

More than as a storyteller or director, Aditya Haasan earns better marks here as a dialogue writer.
Final Verdict

The film takes an issue that may be seen only in a limited section of society and presents it as something widely relatable. This raises a question about the promotional claim that audiences will see their own lives reflected in the story.

At a time when many young men and women are making carefully planned and mature decisions about their careers and relationships, should a Gen Z film necessarily revolve around bold scenes, luxury, live-in relationships and intimacy? Is the purpose of such stories simply to suggest that all these things have become common today? EPIC: First Semester leaves the audience with similar questions.


Overall, EPIC: First Semester Movie Review gives the feeling of attempting an exam without fully preparing either the syllabus or the subject. Perhaps the confidence is that even if the First Semester does not work, there is always the supplementary exam Final Semester.