Ru Ba Ru

Director: Arjun Bali
Starring: Randeep Hooda, Shahana Goswami, Jayant Kriplani, Rati Agnihotri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Lyrics: Soumik Sen
Editing: Sanjeeb Datta

Like many a Hindi movie 'Ru-ba-Ru' isn't an original one, and is entirely borrowed from the Hollywood film 'If Only' (2004), starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Paul Nicholls. Arjun Bali's choice of the subject is debatable, but also commendable as the debutant director has handled it with great skill.

Any other director even though an experienced one may not have succeeded as far as Arjun Bali has. However, we wonder as to why the director has accepted to make a movie as a mere translated script of a Hollywood movie.

Hence, this lacks that the masses need for their entertainment. The movie may gel well with the elite. The director seems to have left the movie to its USP that this contains ten smooches in the movie with, of course, much-hyped intense bed scenes to attract the viewers. Significantly, the director has proved to the Censor Board that his ten lip lock scenes are vital because of the script's demand.

That's why the Censor Board has granted it universal viewer ship certificate and not the category A, meant for adults only. One could have related more to their characters had there been more emphasis on the couple's chemistry over their kisses. At the same time, we congratulate the director for not succumbing to the industry's usual practice of blowing up the smooches.

Let's us look at the story. Though a love tale, but being too hypothetical, it lacks an appeal to one's heart. Until the interval one believes the film to be a psychological thriller but it ends up being an abstract take on fortune. The director needed to be a bit more flexible to have molded into a more imaginative one. Here, Bali has miserably failed.

Tara played by Shahana Goswami and Nikhil played by Randeep Hooda are in intense love with each other. Tara, on her part, wants to firm up this relationship with marriage, but Nikhil is always busy in his corporate work.

Since the latter is an alcoholic too, he forgets even small things and takes Tara for granted. He has no time for his ladylove. Their chemistry seems to be moving the other way as Nikhil takes Tara for granted. As a result, Tara gets frustrated and wants to call it a day.

As and when Nikhil comes to terms with his aloof life and wants to relive one particular day from his life, things go awry. Nikhil tries his best to change events to his convenience, but the destiny has a different plan for him.

A catastrophe overtakes Shahana who meets with an accident making even the alcoholic scream for help for Tara. Had Nikhil cared earlier, both would have lived happily together? However, it wasn't to be.

While critically examining the movie, we find that the story is almost dull and drags on. However acting-wise, both the lead actors have excelled in their performances. Randeep Hooda who is known for his romantic as well as macho roles has proved his credentials once again as a romantic hero.

Similarly, Shahana Goswami has been just natural. Rati Agnihotri and Jayant Kripalani have done full justice to their respective roles. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is good, too. While Andre Menezes' cinematography captures the beauty of Bangkok with finesse, its music by Satyadev Burman and Sameeruddin falls short of any significance.

'Ru-ba-Ru' is a good entertainer but is being crowded out because of the much-hyped two competitive movies - Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'The Last Lear' and Vikram Bhatt's horror '1920'.