Rarely does one come across a débutant filmmaker who debuts with an almost perfect grasp of storytelling. Rarely does one come across a débutant filmmaker who brings on screen a hypothetical scenario that doesn't hesitate to strike a chord with your heart. Rarely does one come across a filmmaker who ventures into such a unique storyline that is new to Indian audiences. In short, rarely does one come across someone like the director of Ru Ba Ru, Arjun Bali.

The Randeep Hooda and Shahana Goswami starer on face value may seem to be a love story, however the content seeps so much deeper. The message of the film, which is full of imperative lessons of life, is very relevant to today's society and the world we live in.

With a movie like Ru Ba Ru, it becomes very evident that filmmakers are slowly realizing the power of cinema. They are at last bringing to the screen not just movies that make you believe in beautiful elements of life, such as family and love, but also are presenting these very same themes with a touch of realism so that audiences can relate to what is being portrayed in front of them. Ru Ba Ru is one such movie that teaches you the meaning of life and most importantly, the importance of not being too focused on the future, as to forget the present. Society is very focused on teaching us to secure our futures. Ru Ba Ru reminds us of what we miss out on when our eyes are too focused on the prize.

This lesson is illustrated to the audiences through the story of Nikhil (Randeep Hooda), a dedicated and aspiring businessman. He wants to have his company's name written all over South East Asia. However, Nikhil is so submerged into this future he sees for himself, that he forgets all the small things that make life what it is for him today. Most importantly, he forgets the value of the woman who adores him, his girlfriend of two years Tara (Shahana Goswami). For Tara, the world is music, dance, theatre and the centre of all that is Nikhil. There is nothing dearer to her than the moments spent with him. Nikhil, also believes this but has a slight problem of expressing it. He wants nothing but a beautiful and prosperous future for Tara and him, however he forgets that it's important to not get so submerged into the future that you forget to cherish the moments and people in the present. Unlike most people though, Nikhil is given a second chance after a life-altering event. A second chance which is rarely given to people. A chance to live life once again and make it count this time around. Thus unfolds the story of Ru Ba Ru. With Nikhil, audiences take a journey and learn the importance of some of the smallest things in life that we so easily take for granted.

For those enthusiasts of Western cinema will definitely draw parallels with several films including the recent Sandra Bullock starer, Premonition. However, Ru Ba Ru achieves something that rarely movies are able to when the subject matter is one that has already been explored. And that is that the maker is able to bring on screen the same story with a vivid illustration of the message behind the storyline and most importantly, and perhaps most relatively to Indian cinema, he does this without a hint of tackiness. There can be no better word to describe the pathetic attempts that filmmakers have made in the past to recreate an already developed subject matter than tacky. Indian cinema is quite famous for its trademark remakes, be it of action sequences or the whole movie, but rarely does a maker successfully recreate a subject with as much class and professionalism. To the audiences delight, débutant Arjun Bali does.

Some may find the scenario somewhat hypothetical but then one stops to ask him or herself that don't we watch cinema in which heroes heroically win over the villain despite been being brutally shot over and over again? Don't we watch cinema in which song and dance is a way of life? Don't we watch a genre of films in which love stories are somewhat greater than the fairy tales Disney puts on screen? Then why do we hesitate to accept a hypothetical scenario that illustrates such an imperative lesson of life? In fact, Nikhil's character and his persona are not much different to the situation many of us are in. People such as Nikhil are all around us if not us ourselves. The only hypothetical aspect is that he was given a second chance to set things right. A true Bollywood cine-goer will accept Ru Ba Ru in its true spirit without over thinking the scenario. At the end of the day, the story has a moral and one that, even though illustrated through a hypothetical scenario, is very relevant to the audiences sitting in the cinema hall.

Dialogues of Ru Ba Ru are predominantly what make it so classy. They are realistic and basically conversations that you have with people around you on a daily basis. Simply because the characters aren't in India that didn't give the writer an excuse to overload English lines. Cinematographer Andre Menezes is also to be credited for the professional and mature feel given to the movie. Special mention must be given to the cinematography in song sequences. It was imperative that this be done with uttermost perfection as the songs are not inserted in the usual style but are utilized in a background score style predominantly throughout the screenplay.

Speaking of songs, the soundtrack is refreshing and beautifully incorporated with the screenplay. Not all songs are played at full length and this is a great touch because they would have really dragged the length of the movie. They are a perfect addition and do not feel like a burden.

The screenplay in addition is also smooth and to the point. Within minutes into the movie you are fully aware of what type of a character Nikhil is and what his flaws are. You, at once, start extracting the message being brought to the screen. This is a trait Indian cinema is slowly but surely developing.

Randeep Hooda blows you away with an utterly natural and heartfelt performance. The actor has indeed come such a long way, and it is hard to believe that he's the same actor who was chosen for his Australian accent in Monsoon Wedding because his dialogue delivery is so natural and perhaps the realistic lines are the perfect touch.

Shahana Goswami complements perfectly. For someone fairly new to cinema, she's a pro. She's elegant and delivers her performance with poise and élan. Her performance throughout the movie is top notch, however interval and the climax portions do deserve a special mention. One expects great things from her in the coming years.

To top it all there is the immaculate chemistry between the two actors. For such a storyline to be convincingly brought on screen and illustrate the message that it is meant to be illustrated, it was imperative to have two actors who worked as one. After witnessing their performance, you cannot imagine a better duo for the roles.

On the whole Ru Ba Ru is perfect in every way. Sadly, it has one tiny flaw which will cost it quite a bit. The film is not catered to the audience at large. It's a fine work of cinema and illustrates a message that could not be better suited for today's day and age, however sadly not everyone will be able to extract this message and accept the movie in its true spirit. One does hope that audiences of Indian cinema have evolved over time and begin to appreciate the concept as it would be the greatest loss to cinema if such pieces would cease to be created. Without a doubt, check this one out and spread the word!

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