From grassroots web short videos to becoming one of the most recognizable, self-made young faces in mainstream Telugu cinema, Vaishnavi Chaitanya continues to carve an authentic, fiercely independent career path. Reuniting with Anand Deverakonda after their phenomenal joint success in Baby, she steps onto screens as Kadali in Epic – First Semester, arriving worldwide on September 11, 2026 (with special premieres rolling out on September 10).
Helmed by Aditya Hasan—who earned widespread acclaim for the bittersweet nostalgia of #90s – A Middle Class Biopic—and backed by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya under Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas (presented by Srikara Studios), the film strips away artificial glamor to explore young adulthood abroad.
Speaking in-depth with journalists ahead of the release, Vaishnavi discussed why Kadali's uncompromising honesty matters, how the team dismantled comparisons with Baby, and why modern themes like live-in relationships don't have to alienate family moviegoers.
"Kadali Is an Ocean": The Anatomy of an Unapologetic Woman Vaishnavi is quick to distinguish her on-screen persona from conventional romantic archetypes:
"Anand plays Aditya—gentle, introspective, and still trying to piece together how the real world operates. Kadali stands at the complete opposite end of that spectrum. She carries absolute clarity about who she is, where she wants to go, and what lines cannot be crossed.
Most women carry a Kadali locked inside them. Due to societal conditioning, quiet familial guilt, or fear of judgment, that inner voice gets silenced for years. But eventually, life forces you to stand your ground. Playing Kadali changed me personally; I used to hesitate before voicing dissent, but living in her skin taught me that self-conviction isn't selfishness—it’s survival."
— Vaishnavi Chaitanya
Leaving Baby at the Doorstep: An Intentional Challenge Rather than cashing in on nostalgic sentiment from their previous blockbuster outing, the team took the harder creative route:
A Deliberate Creative Reset: "We knew people would walk in looking for remnants of our earlier work. We took that head-on as a challenge: the minute Aditya and Kadali start talking, the audience should forget everything we did in the past. This isn't a high-decibel heartbreak drama; it’s an intimate, observational relationship study."
Aditya Hasan’s Microscopic Eye: "Aditya doesn't look for huge dramatic outbursts to explain characters. In 'Epic', as in '#90s', it's the domestic details—how they share kitchen space, the awkward silence after an argument, the quiet adjustments two students make while surviving in a foreign country—that build the emotional weight."
A Live-In Premise Rooted in Realism, Not Shock Value When asked whether traditional family crowds would hesitate to embrace a story dealing with an overseas live-in arrangement, Vaishnavi answered with absolute conviction:
Honest Without Crudeness: "Because it deals with two students living together in the UK, it isn’t a rural, traditional family story like '#90s'. But let me be very clear: Aditya has handled the subject with mature restraint. There are no gratuitous moments or vulgar scenes inserted to titillate. It is a genuine, heart-touching story about emotional compatibility. Families can sit together in theatres without squirming."
From Modest Origins to Center Stage Reflecting on her ongoing collaboration with Sithara Entertainments, Vaishnavi shared a proud personal milestone:
Full-Circle Milestone: "Years ago, playing a tiny character role as Allu Arjun garu’s sister in 'Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo' gave me the quiet hope that outsider girls from Telugu roots could dream big. Today, fronting flagship films for the very same banner feels like poetic justice. Naga Vamsi garu never cuts corners on storytelling; he provides complete creative freedom to his actors and directors."
With advance bookings opening for the September 10 premiere shows, Epic – First Semester promises to offer an emotionally grounded, honest reflection of contemporary relationships on September 11, 2026!
