PremiumLaila Review: Vishwak Sen's film is outright silly, over the top and vulgar
Laila Review: Vishwak Sen's film is directed by Ram Narayan and has nothing going its way. The lesser you speak about it is the best. From the very first scene, things have gone for a toss.
Laila
Last Updated: 03.30 PM, Feb 14, 2025
Laila Story
Sonu (Vishwak Sen) runs a beauty parlour in the old city of Hyderabad. One day, he helps a customer with their business but unknowingly lands in massive trouble with a local goon (Abhimanyu Singh) and a fierce cop (Babloo Prithviraj). To escape them, he disguises himself as a woman named Laila. The rest of the story follows how Sonu navigates life as Laila and clears his name.
Laila Review
Laila, directed by Ram Narayan, is built on an outdated premise that leaves you wondering what Vishwak Sen saw in it to give his approval in the first place. The trope of a man disguising himself as a woman to escape trouble has been explored countless times, but Laila takes it to such an exaggerated and absurd level that you begin to question why you’re watching it at all. The film struggles with pacing, coherence, and overall engagement, making it a tedious watch from start to finish.
Clearly aimed at the masses, Laila ends up being an insult to even their sensibilities. The film is overloaded with crass humor, over-the-top jokes, and vulgarity, making it difficult to sit through. One of its biggest drawbacks is the complete lack of seriousness. From the very first scene to the last, Laila plays out like a series of disjointed skits with no real emotional depth or storytelling. It feels as if the director decided that logic and substance weren’t necessary simply because the film is meant for a "mass audience."
The only silver lining is Vishwak Sen’s transformation into Laila, which, at times, evokes a few laughs. He looks convincing in the female getup, but beyond that, the film offers nothing of value. The screenplay is riddled with below-the-belt humor and double-meaning jokes, making it an uncomfortable and cringe-worthy experience.
In terms of performances, Vishwak Sen does what he can with the weak material but is ultimately let down by the shallow writing. His character lacks depth, limiting his ability to make an impact. Akanksha Singh is reduced to a mere glam doll with no real scope for performance. Abhimanyu Singh and Babloo Prithviraj go completely over the top, hamming their way through their roles with exaggerated expressions.
Leon James’ music is forgettable, and the background score is so loud and intrusive that it ends up giving you a headache rather than enhancing the film. The dialogues are cheap, filled with unnecessary vulgarity, and lack any wit. Editing is another weak point—several so-called "comedy" scenes should have been trimmed to save the audience from prolonged discomfort. The only saving grace is the production quality, with neat cinematography and decent production values.
In the end, Laila is a lowbrow cringe-fest that even Vishwak Sen might regret being a part of in the future. With not a single redeeming factor, the film is a patience-testing ordeal that is best avoided.
Laila Verdict:
On the whole, Laila is a film that has nothing going its way. Cringe-worthy dialogues, cheap tricks, and over-the-top situations bring it down in no time. Vishwak Sen needs to choose better scripts if he wants to uphold his talent, as films like Laila will only tarnish the good reputation he has built over the years.