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Falling in love is easy: you meet a guy and on assessing his potential as your life partner, afford yourself the luxury of dancing on air as you fantasise about moonlight, roses and that “happy-ever-after” ending.
But when you least expect it, the break-up happens.
You cry to long-suffering friends and for the umpteenth time, swear off men for life.
Enter another potential Mr Right, who you end up adding to your considerable casualty list.
In life, it’s a bitter and twisted situation. When it’s a case of art imitating life, this is the stuff romcoms – and rising stars – are made of.
Cue local TV presenter and actress Dineo Moeketsi: she is making her big screen debut in Mrs Right Guy, taking on the lead role as unlucky-in-love Gugu Hlatshwayo.
“When I read the story line, I was excited,” says the 26-year-old.
“You see these stories on social media every day. Women have this fairy tale idea about love and how their wedding day is going to be. The truth is, love isn’t like Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella – far from it,” Moeketsi says.
In the film, she plays “It girl” and new bride Gugu, who is left stranded on her honeymoon island by her husband.
Hardened and humiliated, she returns to her grandmother’s home in Soweto and swears off love for good.
She joins the “walking wounded”, rejecting every chance at romance – until fate crosses her path with two potential suitors.
Asked what she likes about her character, Moeketsi says: “I love that Gugu is dressed by Thula Sindi and drives a Toyota Cressida.
“Tapping into my character’s bitterness was an emotional journey for me, and I hope it will be one for audiences too. But it’s not all doom and gloom: Gugu ends up in a situation where she lives a little and finds love,” she says.
The film features a host of well-known actors, including Thapelo Mokoena, Thando Thabethe, Boity Thulo, Lehasa Moloi and Tau Maserumule.
It is directed by Nigeria-born film maker Adze Ugah, who directed popular Mzansi telenovela Isibaya. “You can’t do it without an army of people; that’s the beauty of this art form. It’s a celebration of collaboration, so I can’t take credit for all these works,” he says.
Moeketsi agrees: “The team helped me through the lead role. After wrapping up, I felt as if I had won something. I have always wanted to do movie roles.
“I hope the film shakes up women’s expectations about love and the bubble they imagine around it. This is a story about love and how to find love in reality.”
Mrs Right Guy premiers on April 29.
