The Telugu film Laila, starring Vishwak Sen, hit theatres on Valentine’s Day 2025, alongside Bollywood’s Chhaava and Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World. While the latter two films garnered mixed to positive responses, Laila has been met with harsh criticism, with social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), flooded with negative reviews.
About Laila
Directed by Ram Narayan, Laila is an action comedy featuring Vishwak Sen in a dual role as 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 release, Laila was mired in controversy and faced boycott calls. However, as netizens pointed out, the film itself has done little to win over audiences.
Dont Believe any hatred reviews targeting #Laila movie. #LailaMovie is disaster on script itself from beginning to End its unbearable torture🙏
— MK (@brolaughsalot) February 14, 2025
Twitter Reactions: Harsh Criticism for Laila
Viewers have overwhelmingly panned Laila, calling it a colossal misfire. One Twitter user sarcastically addressed the controversy, stating, “Don’t believe any hatred reviews targeting #LailaMovie. The movie itself is a disaster from start to finish—an unbearable torture.” Another reviewer simply posted a thumbs-down and vomit emoji along with a picture of the title card, captioning it, “The Worst… Seriously, what a scrap.”
A review summarizing the film’s shortcomings labeled it as “trashy and worrisome,” with another user commenting, “#Laila – A Low-Grade Atrocious Film. The team relied on body shaming and double-meaning jokes instead of good content.” Another tweet humorously remarked, “Bhojpuri Films Better Ani Msg Chesadu Ayya (Bhojpuri films deliver a better message than this).”
Bhojpuri Films Better Ani Msg Chesadu Ayya @VishwakSenActor
— 𝕄𝕒𝕕𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕒 🚩 (@Madhava_Tweets) February 14, 2025
Ma Frd Cinema Chusi Vachi 🙏
Idhi DownFall Kaadhu Anthaku Minchiiiii#Laila pic.twitter.com/IZVtve5yj7
The Worst… Seriously what a scrap @VishwakSenActor #Laila 👎🤮 https://t.co/9wOqUGADXj
— . (@Sayiiing_) February 14, 2025
The ‘Boycott Laila’ Controversy
The backlash surrounding Laila intensified after a pre-release event on February 9, when cast member Prudhvi Raj made controversial political statements referencing the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. His remarks, perceived as politically charged and mocking certain figures, led to widespread criticism, particularly from supporters of the YSR Congress Party. Although Prudhvi later apologized, the damage had been done, with many netizens calling for a boycott of the film.
Despite the controversy and initial buzz, Laila has failed to resonate with audiences, struggling at both the box office and in public perception. With scathing reviews dominating social media, the film’s prospects for recovery appear bleak.
