One of the reasons that we at Popcorn Reviewss started a website was to give voice to some of the smaller films/shows that deserve an audience but unfortunately do not get that reach. So every now and then, we just do our little bit to bring the audience in. And so this is a special review of the newly released Short Film Rubaru on YouTube which marks the directorial debut of one of the most underrated actresses Tisca Chopra. I haven’t really reviewed a short film recently and Rubaru gave me a perfect opportunity to get one back. I was totally bowled over by its first look, it was intriguing and had that element of mystery surrounding it. I skipped its trailer and directly jumped on to the main film. Was the film good enough, stay tuned.

Contrary to what the posters suggested(or so I perceived), Rubaru is the story of a starlet who is soon fading into oblivion. With no film offers, all she has is a stage play. What happens next? The story reminded me(very faintly) of the Hollywood film Black Swan. But it has no real similarities to it. Standing at just 17 minutes, the film tackles many issues related to mental health in an industry which is largely unforgiving. The screenplay for a short film is layered and it reveals the story bit by bit. And so you slowly witness the struggle of its lead culminating into an unexpected finale. The writing is just pitch perfect here and has you hooked and booked throughout. The dialogues are decent enough, so is the BGM. Debuting as a director Tisca Chopra has done a swell job. Her direction is on point especially towards the end when she forces the audience to play the guessing game, simply marvelous!

The performances are quite good. Arjun Mathur impresses in a cameo as the director of the play. Chitrashi Rawat as Shruti also has her moments to shine. But the film rests on the strong shoulders of Tisca Chopra who is magnificent as Radha, a starlet whose stardom is fast fading. She has had to multitask here and she has nailed all her roles just so effortlessly.

On the whole, Rubaru is a work of a genius. It is a short film that stays with you long after it has ended and also gives you that glimmer of hope to keep fighting no matter what!