Ru Ba Ru

Infobox Film
name = Ru Ba Ru


caption = Promotional poster for the film
director = Arjun Bali
producer = Percept Picture Company
writer =
starring = Randeep Hooda
Shahana Goswami
Rati Agnihotri
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Jayant Kriplani
music = Satyadev Barman
Samiruddin
cinematography = Andre Menezes
editing = Sanjib Datta
distributor =
released = September 12, 2008
runtime =
country = India
awards =
language = Hindi
budget =
imdb_id =
website =

"Ru Ba Ru" is a 2008 Indian drama film directed by the debutant director Arjun Bali. Filmed in Hindi, the film revolves around the relationship between a live-in couple caught amidst their busy professional careers. The film stars actors Randeep Hooda and a relative newcomer Shahana Goswami in the leading role. Rati Agnihotri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Jayant Kriplani play the supporting roles. It is a cinematic adaptation of "If Only" (2004).cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/3473942.cms|title=Ru-Ba-Ru: Movie Review|last=Malani|first=Gaurav|date=2008-09-12|publisher=The Economic Times|accessdate=2008-09-12] cite web|url=http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/review.php?id=14756897&ctid=5&cid=2425|title=Review: Ru-ba-Ru is headed for disaster!|date=2008-09-12|work=IndiaFM.com|publisher=Sify.com|accessdate=2008-09-12] cite web|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/reviews.asp?lang=hindi&id=343&moviename=Review%3A+Ru+Ba+Ru|title=Review: Ru Ba Ru|last=Chopra|first=Anupama|date=2008-09-12|publisher=NDTV|accessdate=2008-09-12] cite web|url=http://ia.rediff.com/movies/2008/sep/12rubaru.htm|title=If only Ru Ba Ru adapted itself well|last=Ramani|first=Nithya|date=2008-09-12|publisher=Rediff.com|accessdate=2008-09-12]

Plot

Tara (Shahana Goswami), an aspiring actress and singer, and Nikhil (Randeep Hooda), a young professional in an advertising firm have been in a relationship since a few years. Tara wants to cement their relationship by commitment to a marriage. But Nikhil, who is workaholic and professionally ambitious, is always pre-occupied with his work. Saying that he is happy with the way things are between the two of them, he stashes away her proposal for marriage.

Trouble brews between them when Nikhil constantly forgets little things about her and their relationship. He begins to take Tara, her family and friends for granted. When Tara cannot take this behavior of Nikhil anymore, she decides to take matters in her own hand. That's when a strange magical, mystical force intervenes, and what happens next forms the rest of the story.

Production

Debutant director Arjun Bali previously worked on advertisements before venturing into commercial cinema.cite web|url=http://www.nowrunning.com/news/news.aspx?it=10067|title=Randeep unveils his romantic side in 'Ru-ba-ru'|last=Subhash|first=Jha|date=2007-03-31|work=Indo-Asian News Service|publisher=Nowrunning.com|accessdate=2008-09-12] Randeep Hooda, who had previously worked in action films such as "D" (2005) and "Risk" (2007), thought of experimenting with a romantic film hoping that it might bring him the much elusive success in the Bollywood film industry.cite web|url=http://www.screenindia.com/news/Man-on-a-mission---Randeep-Hooda/360516/|title=Man on a mission - Randeep Hooda|last=Pereira|first=Priyanka|date=2008-09-12|publisher=Screen India|accessdate=2008-09-12] When Bali approached Hooda with the film's story, the latter instantly liked the title. The film was titled "Ru Ba Ru", which transliterates into soul to soul, with actress-model Mandira Bedi's suggestion. [cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/sep/09look.htm|title='Ru Ba Ru begins where other love stories end'|last=Ramani|first=Nithya|date=2008-09-10|publisher=Rediff.com|accessdate=2008-09-12] For the film, Hooda shaved his moustache away as he "wanted to look soft and romantic." While saying that his character in the film was quite similar to his real life persona, Hooda thought it was great working with relative newcomer Shahana Goswami.cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Media__Entertainment_/Entertainment/Bollywood_stars_talk_about_their_upcoming_flick_Ru-Ba-Ru_in_Mumbai_/articleshow/3445530.cms|title=Bollywood stars talk about their upcoming flick 'Ru-Ba-Ru' in Mumbai |date=2008-09-01|work=ANI|publisher=The Economic Times|accessdate=2008-09-12] Goswami previously featured in "Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota" (2006), "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd." (2007) and "Rock On!!" (2008), the former two being cameo appearances. She was signed on for this film before her graduation. Ironically, the characters she portrays in "Rock On!!" and this film were strikingly similar. Due to this, she was worried that this might typecast her in her future films.cite web|url=http://www.screenindia.com/news/The-perfect---nagging-wife-----Shahana-Goswami/359642/|title=The perfect 'nagging wife' - Shahana Goswami|last=Pereira|first=Priyanka|date=2008-09-10|publisher=Screen India|accessdate=2008-09-12]

The duo of Satyadev Barman and Samirrudin composed the music of the film, while the soundtrack lyrics is written Shuja Haider, Soumik Sen, Chester Misquitta, Aditya Narayan, Arjun Chandramohan Bali and Akshay Verma. Shuja Haider, Ranjit Barot, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Vijay Prakash, Suzanne D'Mello and Shreya Ghosal featured as singers in the soundtrack.

Release and reception

The film, which released on September 12, 2008, earned average reviews by the critics. "Rediff.com" appreciated the performance of the lead actors, Randeep Hooda and Shahana Goswami and added that the adaptation of Hollywood film "If Only" (2004) could have been better. Movie reviewers from "The Economic Times", "Sify.com" and "NDTV" corroborated the fact that the film was an Indian adaptation of the Hollywood film. When asked in an interview about this, Hooda evaded a direct answer. Instead he became defensive and said that every film is inspired in some way or other, and that there have been films around before-and-after aspect of life. [cite web|url=http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-20980.html|title='Ru-Ba-Ru inspired from If Only?' - Randeep Hooda talks|last=Tuteja|first=Joginder|work=Sampurn|publisher=Newkerala.com|accessdate=2008-09-12]

References