Short films have gained their audience; not only do people enjoy the format, but they admire it for its smart and crisp work. Many short stories have had a significant impact on our day-to-day life; it often takes us to thoughts we have not previously encountered. A recently-released short film, “Rubaru,” deals with a subject we usually are not aware of.
“Rubaru’s” story is about Radha Malhotra (Tisca Chopra), an actress now in middle age; she is fighting a battle with the outer and inner self. She struggles to prove herself as a serious and dedicated artist. Hence, she decides to play a stage play portraying a failed middle-aged writer’s part. Now it’s final day, and she is terrified by self-doubt on her craft as an artist.
Radha, once a renowned Bollywood actress whose new generation disguises her deficiency of ability, is now now has to face that the film fraternity has to reject her in approbation of male equivalents. She is looking for a big comeback anyhow, while her life is in sections. It’s evident in her behavior that she can’t deal with her loneliness. The story revolves around what occurs when an actor goes through personal and professional setbacks while getting prepared for the hardest justification.
“Rubaru” is written by the trio Namrata Shenoy, Tisca Chopra, and Sanjay Chopra. The radical plot is a classification of attention-grabbing details. It connects to a few recurrent but not much-discussed areas challenged by artists in show business. A fascinating narrative is viabile and expectations following from methodical writing. “Rubaru” takes on many subplots that would have created a better impact on short over long-film format. The climax feels predictable yet encompasses a good twist. The screenplay manifests the timidity of the dramatis personae. It touches the righteous notations, nevertheless of the indisputable fact that it’s in short format with a run-time of 14 minutes.
Tisca Chopra in a scene from “Rubaru” (Large Short Films, 2020).
The film is the directorial debut for actress Tisca Chopra. She has impressed many of us with her roles and ability as an artist. She is the lead both on and off-screen for this short film, and does a splendid job in both.
Speaking of her as director, she has intelligently conveyed the story. She uses the multi-subplots as elements of curiosity. Making a short film is always challenging due to its short duration and purpose, but with “Rubaru,” she captures all the right things. The close and wide-angle shots are perfect, and helps the film get its intense vibes. One of Chopra’s critical actions as a director is using silences to communicate inside struggles, and that helps the story in the best possible way.
From watching the film, one can easily witness that Chopra is all heart and soul for the role of Radha Malhotra. Even in the film’s short duration, she gives us a picture of a middle-aged actress fighting her battle flawlessly. Her expressions in a vital scene are such that it surprises her to show her craft as an actress. Like Arjun Mathur and Chitrashi Rawat, the other cast has less run-time, yet are pitch-perfect in their roles.
“Rubaru” is short on time but not short on an engaging storyline and acting; the story’s last line gives a defining impact. Overall, “Rubaru” is a definite watch, wether you a fan of short film formats or not. It’s an earnest and smart work of Tisca Chopra as both actor and director.
You can check out the film now on YouTube or watch the film below.
