The Telugu film Laila hit theaters on Valentine’s Day 2025, premiering alongside the Hindi film Chhaava and Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World. While the latter two films garnered mixed to favorable responses, Laila failed to impress. Starring Vishwak Sen, the film has been widely criticized by audiences since its release, with social media—particularly Twitter (now X)—flooded with negative feedback.
Laila and Its Premise
Helmed by director Ram Narayan, Laila is an action-comedy featuring Vishwak Sen in dual roles—Sonu, an aspiring model, and Laila, the titular femme fatale. The film also stars Akanksha Sharma, Vennela Kishore, Babloo Prithiveeraj, and Abhimanyu Singh. Even before its debut, Laila was embroiled in controversy and faced boycott calls. However, as netizens pointed out on Friday, those protests may have been unnecessary given the film’s reception.
Social Media’s Verdict on Laila
Online reactions to Laila have been overwhelmingly negative, with many calling it a disappointment. Addressing the controversy surrounding the film’s boycott, one Twitter user sarcastically noted, “Don’t trust the so-called negative reviews against #LailaMovie. The script itself was doomed from the start—an unbearable ordeal from beginning to end.” Another user shared a thumbs-down and vomit emoji alongside an image of the title card, writing, “The Worst… Seriously, what a disaster.”
A review highlighting the film’s weak structure stated that both halves were ‘trashy and unsettling,’ with another Twitter user commenting, “#Laila – A low-grade, atrocious film relying solely on body-shaming and crude jokes.” Another viewer took a jab at the film, remarking, “Bhojpuri films convey better messages than this.”
Laila’s Boycott Controversy
On February 9, during a pre-release event for Laila, cast member Prudhvi Raj made controversial remarks about political figures, sparking the #BoycottLaila trend on Twitter. His comments, referencing the recent Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, drew backlash, particularly from YSR Congress Party supporters. Although Prudhvi later issued an apology, the controversy persisted, leading to widespread calls for a boycott of the film.
Despite all the pre-release buzz, Laila ultimately failed to leave a mark, suffering from weak storytelling and poor execution. With the way audiences have responded, it seems this film may struggle to recover from its disastrous debut.
