Like Aani Subscribe is a 2024 Indian Marathi-language suspense thriller film written and directed by Abhishek Merurkar, and produced by Merukar and Nitin Vaidya under the banners of Abhishek Merukar Productions and Nitin Vaidya Productions.[1][2] The film stars Amey Wagh, Amruta Khanvilkar and Jui Bhagwat (in her film debut) in the lead roles, while Vitthal Kale, Shubhankar Tawde and Pushkaraj Chirputkar plays pivotal roles.[3][4] The story follows a youth-centric narrative set in the world of social media, where a vlogger accidentally captures a dead body on camera, leading to a chain of events that entangles other characters as they seek to uncover the truth behind the incident.[5]
The film premiered in Singapore on 13 October 2024, before its theatrical release in India on 18 October 2024.[6][7] Upon release the film received favourable views from the critics and audience, especially for its plot, performances and direction.[8]
Like Aani Subscribe was officially announced on 15 July 2024, with the release of a short video featuring the tagline, "Are you searching... Who is Rohit Chauhan?"[13] This film marks Jui Bhagwat's big screen debut; she previously appeared in the Marathi show Tumchi Mulgi Kay Karte?[9] Additionally, dancer Gautami Patil has also featured in an item song.[14][15]
Director Merukar drew inspiration from a strange story he had come across on Twitter, which led him to begin working on the script in 2021. Discussing the film's genre, he remarked, "As a viewer, I felt that filmmakers were not delivering good films, especially when the audience is so knowledgeable, and the actors are incredibly talented." Speaking about the casting, Merukar shared that Bhagwat was chosen through auditions, Wagh was his first choice for the film, and regarding Amruta Khanvilkar, he expressed that her potential had not been fully utilized by filmmakers in the past, so she was selected based on the specific criteria he envisioned for the role.[16] As for Patil's song, several names were considered, but she was ultimately chosen due to her strong fan base. Wagh revealed that rehearsals for the song were completed within four days; he took three and a half days, while Patil only needed half a day to rehearse.[17][18]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film is composed by Amitraj and Suyash Kelkar, with Kelkar also scoring the background music.[19] The first single, titled "Limbu Firawala," featuring Wagh and Patil, was released on 8 September 2024.[14][20] The second song, centered around a youth-oriented theme, was released on 24 September 2024.[21]
The poster featuring the three main leads was unveiled on 26 August 2024, along with the announcement of the release date.[4] The poster showcased a selfie of the trio, highlighting a stark contrast between their cheerful poses and their real facial expressions.[22][23] A short teaser, lasting less than a minute, was released on 12 September.[24] On 3 October, coinciding with the auspicious occasion of Ghatasthapana (the first day of Navratri), the makers launched the film's trailer.[25][26] An extended trailer followed on 14 October 2024. Prior to that, the film had its premiere on 13 October in Singapore, where it received an overwhelming response from the audience.[27][28]
Reception
Sameer Ahire of Movie Talkies rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, praising its unpredictable twist, strong performances, and social commentary. He wrote, "Jui shines in the emotional Instagram Live scene, and Amruta impresses in her mature role. The second half picks up with a clever twist, but the first half's pacing and forced subplots could have been tighter." Despite some flaws, he called it a rare and refreshing thriller in Marathi cinema.[29] Santosh Bhingarde of E-Sakal gave Like Aani Subscribe 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it a "well woven story" and wrote, "Merukar has given good turns and twists while presenting the story which makes the film engaging till the end."[30] Saurabh More of itsMajja.com praised the film, noting that while the first half is slow, it gains momentum after the interval. He remarked, "Wagh easefully painted the dual roles, Khanvilkar does justice to her character and Bhagwat also impresses in her debut." Regarding the direction, he added, "Merukar’s has done a good job in portraying the reality of social media," while giving it 3 stars.[31] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in critized it's length and wrote, "..too much time is spent on setting up scenes and elaborating on the already obvious. The first-film jitters includes some grace notes. The dark humour lands on target, as do the performances."[32] Kalpeshraj Kubal of Maharashtra Times rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, appreciating its screenwriting, performances, direction, and cinematography. He noted, "The movie has successfully tried to show the dark side behind the glittering world of social media," and concluded that "The plot of everyday life and the good acting of the actors make the movie really attract attention."[33] Sanjay Ghavre of Lokmat Filmy gave 3 stars out of 5, and wrote, "Dramatic twists at regular intervals add to the excitement. Abhishek's success as a writer is that even though the murderer is always in front of his eyes, he is not suspected."[34]
