Euphoria Movie Review: Right intent let down by flawed execution

After a three-year gap, director Gunasekhar is back with Euphoria. This time, the director opted for a limited budget and largely worked with newcomers. Inspired by the infamous Jubilee Hills pub case that rocked the Telugu states a few years ago, the film also incorporates a few other real-life incidents along with fictional elements. Euphoria also highlights how parenting plays a key role in shaping a child’s behaviour.

The central idea is commendable, but cinema ultimately demands strong execution. Even when cinematic liberties are taken, the narration must be gripping or emotionally engaging. These elements are essential, whether the film is commercial or raw and realistic. While Euphoria, like several recent films, follows a real life incident, it lacks a compelling execution. While such incidents do occur in society, filmmakers must be cautious about how they are portrayed on the big screen and whether the audience will connect with them.

In Euphoria, Gunasekhar depicts teenagers ruining their lives through reckless behaviour, while some parents go to any extent to protect their children despite their wrongdoing. A teenage girl is sexually assaulted, and instead of retreating into silence, she shows immense courage by filing a police complaint and fighting for justice. The first half of the film is engaging and impactful. Unfortunately, the second half completely derails the narrative. The film could have turned out much better if the director had put more effort.

Director: Gunasekhar

Cast: Bhumika Chawla, Gautam Vasudev Menon, Sara Arjun, Nasser, Vignesh Gavireddy, Adarsh and others

Chaitra (Sara Arjun) is a teenager who dreams of becoming an IAS officer. Focused entirely on her studies, she avoids distractions. One day, with her parents’ permission, she attends a party at a popular pub after being invited by a friend. While returning home, five teenage boys she met at the pub follow her, trap her, and sexually assault her. All five boys are minors and belong to influential families — ranging from political backgrounds to owners of large educational institutions. 

Vikas (Vignesh Gavireddy) is the leader of the group, and his mother Vindhya (Bhumika Chawla) is the director of Vikas Education Institutions. While the other parents try to shield their children, Vindhya surprisingly supports Chaitra and insists that her son must be punished. After Chaitra files a police complaint, police commissioner Jayadev Nair (Gautam Vasudev Menon) investigates the case, gathers strong evidence, and the accused are sentenced to life imprisonment. Who provides the crucial evidence and what happens after the verdict forms the rest of the story.

It is appreciable that an established filmmaker like Gunasekhar chose a socially relevant subject. His core message is clear: when children are spoiled and behave irresponsibly, parents must also be held accountable for their upbringing. The film also touches upon how today’s generation is falling prey to drugs and easy access to harmful influences, while parents blindly fulfil their children’s demands.

Though the intent is strong, the execution is weak, especially in the second half. The story effectively concludes by the interval — an IAS aspirant undergoes sexual assault, justice is delivered, and the culprits are punished. However, the director unnecessarily stretches the narrative in the second half with forced scenes. The focus shifts solely to Vikas, his life in jail, and his mother’s attempt to reform him by seeking parole. This shift lacks clarity and consistency.

Vindhya is initially shown as a strong woman who stands firmly for justice, even against her own son. At one point, she even tells Vikas that he deserves to die painfully rather than escape punishment. However, in the second half, the same character suddenly turns protective and attempts to redeem him, which feels poorly justified.

The medical examination scenes involving the teenage boys feel unnecessary. In another disturbing sequence, a drug-addicted son attempts to molest his mother. Instead of dealing with this with depth, the film drags on with repetitive scenes of Vindhya drinking alcohol, which becomes exhausting to watch. While such incidents may have occurred in real life, presenting them this way on screen feels unimpressive.

Gunasekhar is undoubtedly a capable director, and with sharper focus on the script, he could have delivered a far better film. The climax is effective, where Vindhya files a petition admitting her crime and seeking punishment, but this crucial point is not explored in detail. The second half abruptly shifts towards a drug-related storyline — where the drugs come from, who supplies them, and how to eliminate them — making the film feel like two different stories stitched together. Sara Arjun dominates the first half, while Bhumika Chawla takes over the second, resulting in a lack of narrative cohesion.

Performance-wise, Sara Arjun steals the show. The scene where she reacts in shock when her father touches her stands out as one of the film’s most powerful moments. Bhumika Chawla adds weight to the film, though her excessive alcohol-related scenes test patience. Newcomer Vignesh Gavireddy delivers a decent performance, particularly in the climax. Gautam Vasudev Menon fits perfectly as the police commissioner, though his second-half scenes feel overly cinematic.

Kala Bhairava’s music is average, and the songs act as a hurdle to the narration. The lip-sync issues are noticeable and may be due to technical flaws. The cinematography is decent, with the Punjagutta accident episode being particularly well-shot.

Finally, Euphoria works only at the level of intent. The execution and narration fail to match the seriousness of the subject. A director of Gunasekhar’s experience could have delivered a far stronger film with a better-written second half. The film remains engaging only in parts, and despite its title, there is no real euphoria in the experience.