Film: Life is Beautiful
Genre: Romantic comedy
Director: Manoj Amarnani
Cast: Manoj Amarnani, Nancy Brunetta, Anokhi Dalvi, Parth Naik & Raj Zutshi
Storyline: Based in Canada, Raj (Manoj Amarnani) falls in love with Linda (Nancy Brunetta) and happens to discuss with her dad the idea of marrying for the sake of Canadian citizenship. However, they fallout and he ends up marrying Piya (Anokhi Dalvi). Piya, too, gets into the marriage for the citizenship. The movie then traces the mandatory one-year of Raj and Piya's marriage, which the filmmaker expects you to enjoy.
Rating: 1/2
Manoj Amarnani's directorial debut Life is Beautiful hit the theatres on Friday. Too many films have been made on the love that blossoms between strangers when they marry for the sake of citizenship. Does Amarnani's film bring anything new and entertaining to the screen? Not really.
The movie, based in Canada, does not have much going for it. Writer-director-producer-actor Manoj fails to develop a strong enough story around the much-used plot.
Fifteen minutes into the film and the hero has already fallen in love, wooed her and they have split. Be it the break up of Nancy-Raj or the fondness Piya is supposed to have developed for Raj, the emotions do not find resonance with the audience as everything is happening at too fast a pace.
Just as the romance comes too soon, the climax is abrupt as well. Suddenly, Piya's boyfriend comes to terms with the fact that his loyal girlfriend married a stranger and is living with him. The long-estranged Raj's ladylove melts and forgives him the marriage for citizenship.
Just as the romance comes too soon, the climax is abrupt as well. Suddenly, Piya's boyfriend comes to terms with the fact that his loyal girlfriend married a stranger and is living with him. The long-estranged Raj's ladylove melts and forgives him the marriage for citizenship.
Amid this drudgery comes the painful overdose of overacting.
When the lead couple romances in the songs, Nancy looks like she is on the ramp. She speaks like she has been paid to have a fake accent. And for some weird reason, everyone in the movie seems to be overwhelmed by melodrama.
Even the simplest of sentences are said in a manner that makes lip-reading possible if you choose to watch it on mute.
Parth Naik, the actor who plays Raj's friend, is a victim of the most sick jokes around. He's made to live through the most stereotypical notions of being homosexual — loving the colour pink, not being strong enough and the entire stereotypical range.
Our advice, skip this one.