Review: ' Life is Beautiful '(Telugu)

Film: Life is Beautiful (Telugu)
Director: Sekhar Kammula
Cast: Shriya Saran, Anjala Zaveri, Amala Akkineni, Shagun Kaur, Zara Shah, Abhijeet Duddala, Sudhakar Komakula and Kaushik
Rating: ***1/2

We were looking forward to this film with bated breath and one must say that Sekhar Kammula has delivered again with Life is Beautiful. Yes, the film is a bit too long and there are many scenes that could have been edited out or even shot better — but all said and done... the three-hour long tale leaves you smiling, gushing and crying at several intervals. You leave the theatre feeling better about the world and thankful for the smallest joys in life — which we think is more than what Sekhar Kammula could have asked for.

Revolving around the lives of several friends and foes who live in a huge and sprawling community on the outskirts of Hyderabad, the narrative deals at its crux with the issues between the upper class and middle class residents of a neighbourhood. Divided by an invisible wall of lifestyle, luxury, living conditions and accessibility, the Gold Phase and Phase B neighbourhoods are defined by the people who live there.

Sreenu (Abhijeet Duddala), the eldest among three siblings, is forced by his mother (Amala Akkineni) to shift to their relatives’ house in Hyderabad for a year, but no reasons are explained. Being the diligent son, he does so and moves to the new locality — Phase B, where he meets a whole bunch of new friends and takes to them instantly. Nagaraj (Sudhakar Komakula), the man-friday to everyone in Phase B and Gold Phase is one among them, while Abhi (Kaushik) is another.

Together, this trio find love and forge strong bonds as the film progresses. Sreenu falls for his maradalu (Shagun Kaur), Nagaraj falls for the girl next door (Zara Shah) and Abhi falls for Paro (Shriya Saran), a girl from Gold Phase. The movie revolves round these love stories, interwoven with brilliantly executed friend-themed scenes and some warm portrayals of the quintessential middle-class Telugu family.

Not giving too much away, the main plot of the film is revealed towards the end of the film and Amala outdoes herself in a well-etched out performance that makes her comeback worth it. If only she had more scenes, though.

Watch the movie for how cute it is, for how family values are so naturally portrayed and for innocent games of love that will make you smile. Anjala Zaveri is a treat to watch too and somehow manages to reserve a special place in your heart by the end of the movie. Also, be prepared for one of the most hearty portrayals of a Telangana native and the accent that comes with it, thanks to Nagaraj’s vivid characterisation.

Mickey J Meyer manages to keep you occupied in terms of an OST and the songs, though not half as hummable as many of his other compositions, suit the scenes they’re paired with. The movie makes for a pleasant watch if you can ignore the pathetic attempt to recreate a beauty pageant. To sum it all up, just lightga theesko and we’re sure you will enjoy the film.