Naga Vamsi’s Epic is arriving with more pressure than it may seem. The film brings back the Baby pair Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya. It also marks the theatrical debut of director Aditya Haasan, who became popular with the 90s web series. US premieres begin in a few hours, and the film now faces its biggest test.
Aditya has openly admitted that the response to the Epic trailer shocked him. He was used to getting praise for his work, especially after the success of 90s. The trolling around Epic came as a surprise. While some viewers found the trailer bold and interesting, others found it cringe.
Aditya has said he wants the film to answer the backlash. That makes Epic extremely crucial for him.
A web series and a theatrical film are very different. 90s showed that Aditya can tell a good story, but Epic will decide whether he can succeed on the big screen. If the film works, bigger actors and producers could start looking at him seriously. If it fails, getting another big theatrical project may become difficult. He could be back to square one, directing web series or small films.
Anand Deverakonda also badly needs a success. Gam Gam Ganesha flopped badly, and another setback could hurt his credibility. Baby gave him a big blockbuster, but he now needs to prove that he can deliver consistently.
Vaishnavi Chaitanya faces a similar challenge. Baby made her one of the most talked-about young actresses in Telugu cinema, but her later work did not create the same impact. Her last film Jack also received a lot of trolling. Epic is another chance for her to show that Baby was not just a fluke.
That is why Epic matters so much. The trailer may have created doubts, but the film gets the final word.
For Aditya Haasan, Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya, Epic is a chance to silence the doubts that have already started building around all three.
