Written and directed by Rhea Shukla, on a rainy afternoon, three adolescent girls rehearse a dance that takes on a life of its own, somewhere between innocence and awareness. Starring: Akshara Padwal, Sammara Khan and Kurangi Vijayshri Nagraj.
Trying to capture the very beginnings of awareness of sexuality is inherently sensitive, it requires a gentle, thoughtful hand and Rhea Shukla achieves that with Ruse. Shukla’s style is subtle, wholesome and incredibly natural. She captures the naivety of their youth in the atmosphere, while the cinematography from Tanmay Chowdhary adds an endearing softness to the aesthetic. Together Shukla and Chowdhary create that quintessential air of childhood play, it’s sweet, cute and curious.
The writing then quietly captures an impressive range of topics, touching upon the classic themes that land in the minds of adolescent girls. Whether that be curiosity about themselves or others, insecurities or pressures surrounding conforming to social norms. There’s a good lingering presence of societal pressures in the background. It manages to say a surprising amount within its brief runtime.
All of which is brought to life well by the core trio of Akshara Padwal, Sammara Khan and Kurangi Vijayshri Nagraj. They’re playful, energetic, and create a charming, organic friendship between one another. Their performances create a real ensemble feel, none of them attempts to stand out, their portrayals all work as one. They create an amalgamation of the experience for adolescent girls, and there’s a strong connection between them all.
Ruse is endearing and sweet, it’s delivered with such an enthrallingly gentle hand. It has a lot to say without needing to say any of it directly. The aesthetic and directorial style lean into the youthfulness while holding onto sincerity, and the filmmakers chose an excellent location, the house has a lot of character. The leading young actresses all give performances that feel real and honest. It does however feel like it had a fair amount of room to grow, as if we’re only seeing the beginning of this story. It takes a little time to get going and then when it does, unfortunately the credits roll.
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