Romantic comedies are supposed to be light, refreshing, and maybe even a little silly. They give us laughter, a dash of escapism, and, if done right, a feel-good love story. But when you sit through ‘#Single’, Caarthick Raju’s 2025 Telugu rom-com, you are left asking yourself one question: What exactly did I just watch?

The film introduces us to Vijay (Sree Vishnu), who has been praying for seven years to get a girlfriend. Noble dedication, you might think. But the way this devotion translates on screen is not exactly charming. When he boards a train and sees a young woman, he instantly decides she is the one. Then, what follows is not a sweet, heartwarming pursuit of love, but a series of events that range from creepy to downright misogynistic.

The protagonist stares at her for an uncomfortably long time, trails her every move, and eventually stages an entire ‘gunda scene’ so that he can swoop in and play saviour. Yes, he hires men to pretend to harass her so that he can ‘rescue’ her and score romance points. At this moment, one can’t help but wonder, did the filmmakers believe this was romantic? Or did they not realise they were scripting a masterclass in toxic behaviour?

And it doesn’t stop there. The girl repeatedly rejects him, but he continues to follow her around. The film treats this persistence not as harassment, but as a sign of true love. This normalisation of stalking is not only outdated, it’s dangerous. Cinema has immense influence on young audiences, and recycling these ideas only perpetuates a cycle of disrespecting a woman and her ‘no’.

The dialogues are problematic as well. In one moment, a man proudly claims he likes second-hand items and extends that analogy to say he likes second-hand girls. The casual objectification is presented as humour, but really, it just leaves you squirming in your seat. Are women property now, to be classified as new or used? These jokes are the very building blocks of everyday sexism that films like ‘#Single’ continue to validate.

What makes it worse is that these patriarchal ideas are wrapped in a glossy package of comedy and romance.

Then comes the question of believability. Vijay is supposedly a bank employee. Anyone who has ever worked in a bank knows how relentless and exhausting that job can be. Yet this man spends his work hours either hanging out with his friend, chatting endlessly, or chasing after his crush. He has so much free time that his office is a playground rather than a workplace. The film conveniently ignores this inconsistency and lets him drift between work, romance, and comic escapades with no consequence.

And when the movie does get to action, things don’t improve. Action scenes in cinema require a suspension of disbelief. We all know punches aren’t real, but the editing, choreography, and performance can make them feel impactful. In ‘#Single’, however, the illusion shatters. You can see the actors pretending to throw punches; their movements are exaggerated and unconvincing. Seeing this, you’re left with secondhand embarrassment.

Still, that said, some moments in ‘#Single’ are genuinely funny as well. The subplot involving the protagonist’s boss having an affair offers a few good laughs. When Vijay needs money after a disastrous night at a pub with his supposed girlfriend Poorva (Ketika Sharma) and her friends, he blackmails his boss with incriminating photos. The boss, terrified of exposure, pays up. It’s a ridiculous yet entertaining sequence that briefly gives the film the spark it otherwise lacks.

But these isolated comic moments aren’t enough to salvage the film. Instead, you get a mishmash of cliches, problematic humour, and inconsistent storytelling. Romantic comedies thrive when they tap into universal emotions like awkward first meetings, the thrill of attraction, and the uncertainty of reciprocation. ‘#Single’ skips them all and jumps straight into toxic behaviours packaged as romance.

From a performance perspective, the lead actor Vijay tries hard, but the script gives him little to work with. His obsession with the female comes across as possessiveness. Poorva, meanwhile, barely gets any depth. She is reduced to an object of desire, a goal to be achieved, rather than a character with her voice and choices.

Technically, the film is average. The cinematography is functional but uninspired, and the music forgettable. Comedy works in bursts, mostly through supporting characters rather than the main storyline. The film seems unsure of what it wants to be: a love story, a social satire, or a farce. In the end, it lands in none of these spaces convincingly.

What makes reviewing ‘#Single’ especially frustrating is the lost potential. Telugu cinema has given us some charming rom-coms in the past, films that understand humour and romance and don’t have to come at the cost of respect. Here, the filmmakers had the chance to modernise the genre, to offer something fresh for a new generation of viewers. Instead, they doubled down on outdated tropes and predictable plots.

Watching this movie, you can’t help but think of the broader impact of such narratives. Cinema reflects society, but it also shapes it. When stalking, harassment, and sexist jokes are presented as funny or romantic, they reinforce harmful stereotypes. They tell young audiences that women can be ‘won over’ if only men try hard enough. These are not just bad cinematic choices; but they are dangerous cultural messages.

Yet films like ‘#Single’ keep getting made, perhaps because they sell. But audiences are changing. More and more viewers are rejecting these tropes, calling them out on social media, and demanding better representation. And that gives hope.

So, is ‘#Single’ worth watching? If you’re looking for a genuinely heartwarming rom-com that treats its female characters as more than props, you'd better skip this one.

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#Single

Director: Caarthick Raju

Cast: Sree Vishnu, Ketika Sharma, Ivana

Duration: 2 hours 9 minutes

Year: 2025

Language: Telugu

Available on Amazon Prime Video