Laila is produced on Shine Screens. The entertainer has opened at the cinemas today.
Story:
The story is set in Hyderabad’s Old City. Vishwak Sen stars as Sonu Model, a high-end makeup artist who gets framed for fraud. Left with no option, Sonu makes a drastic decision: he transforms himself into a woman named Laila, fooling everyone around him as he tries to bail himself out of the crisis. But this conning will have consequences.
Analysis:
Director Ram Narayan works on a story written by Vasudeva Murthy. The film is a self-aware comedy that has little to do with logic. The humour is steadfastly focused on what the GenZ and Millennials want in today’s times. Sunishith, the Sacrifice Star of the Telugu Internet, plays a funny role; his track is unpredictable and involves a key negative character. A wedding is arranged in haste. There is a heartbreak after the nuptial night. There is an old-fashioned ideal Bharatiya wife who gets to end the mess her husband is in. Above all, there is Sita Beauty Parlour owned by our gender-fluid protagonist who believes that the Parlour is not just a property but his late mother’s gift to him.
Vishwak Sen embraces the art of walking in heels, serving up more sass than a model at a fashion show. Akanksha Sharma plays his girlfriend; she comes with a lot of glamour despite little in terms of her relevance to the plot. Abhimanyu Singh plays a full-fledged role; as a local don-like figure with a weakness for women, his character dishes out entertainment. Babloo Prithiveeraj plays a Sub-Inspector with a secret girlfriend.
The tone of the songs is in keeping with the quality of the story. Oho Rathamma entertains more than Atak Matak. Sonu Model and Icchukundam Baby are good. The compositions are by Leon James. Richard Prasad is the cinematographer. Brahma Kadali’s art direction could have come with a better colour palette.
Laila doesn’t take itself too seriously. The entry of the titular character is after the interval. The first half is spent on justifying the need for the character. Many jokes land, especially if you are a fan of the Jabardasth show on TV.
Verdict:
Laila is a self-aware comedy with the spirit of Jabardasth and the soul of a screwball entertainer.
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