Like Share & Subscribe review: A half-baked film that tests your patience

After scoring decent hits with Ek Mini Katha and Manchi Rojullochayi, Santosh Shoban is back with another entertainer: Like Share & Subscribe.

Directed by Merlapaka Gandhi, the movie hit the big screens on Friday, 4 November. Let’s see how it scores:

Viplav (Santosh Shoban) is a travel blogger who wants nothing in life but a subscriber base for his YouTube channel, Guvva Vihari. Jack Daniels (Sudarshan) is his cameraman.

Viplav wants Guvva Vihari to ape the YT channel of Vasudha (Faria Abdullah), his crush and a Delhi-based Telugu vlogger with millions of subscribers.

The three vloggers head to Araku valley to work on their goals. That’s when the tension arises between DGP Narendra Varma and Commander Gopanna, who heads the PPF (People’s Protection Force).

The beautiful Araku turns into a battlefield for them all. What happens next is something you have to watch on the big screen.

Acting & other technical aspects

Santosh Shoban is a good actor but not a bankable one. In Like Share & Subscribe too, he managed to do well as Viplav.

Faria, popular for her role “Chitti” in her debut Jathirathnalu, is also watchable.

The characterisation of both the lead actors is good and so is the director’s idea. But both the actors fail to create magic together.

Santosh has already proved himself as an actor in his previous films. He shouldn’t have said “yes” to this project.

Faria also deserves a better story. Since this is her second film, she should have taken all the possible care in choosing a proper script.

Brahmaji steals the show with his humour. His performance doesn’t need an introduction. In this story, which is boring by all means, he is some relief.

However, the silly comedy by Sudarshan and Saptagiri will annoy and test your patience.

A Vasanth’s cinematography captures the beauty of Araku valley. The production values are decent and so is the costume department.

The music as well as BGM by Praveen Lakkaraju and Ram Miryala are decent. The editing should have been crisp in the second half.

Bad screenplay & forced comedy

Like Share & Subscribe has a simple plot and it doesn’t offer much after a point.

Though the story is good, director Merlapaka Gandhi lacks the skill when it comes to the screenplay. His efforts to forcibly include more humour take a toll on the movie’s soul.

Few comedy tracks work here and there. A few dialogues on social media users work out well.

For example, the flashback of Naxalites in the middle of the comedy track puzzles the audience with its serious tone. And then the seriousness turns into a mockery as soon as Brahmanna (Brahmaji) and the team arrive.

Loses charm midway

The premise of Like Share & Subscribe is unique and well-connected to the present-day netizens. However, the flavour loses its charm after some time.

There is a lag in the second half and that is where you may even feel like walking out of the theatre.

Vlogging and travel are good concepts that can work really well on the big screen if and when executed well. But director Gandhi came up with a story that actually “lacks a story”.

The plot would have worked had he reworked it. But unfortunately, you cannot call this story a clever one as a few series of events fail to impress the audience.

On the whole, Like Share & Subscribe is a half-baked flick that has good humour here and there, but lacks seriousness in the screenplay. It tests your patience this weekend.