Roobha

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Roobha
Directed by Lenin M. Sivam
Written byLenin M. Sivam
Story by Antonythasan Jesuthasan
Produced byWarren Sinnathamby
StarringAmrit Sandhu
Antonythasan Jesuthasan
Thenuka Kantharajah, Sornalingam Vyramuthu, Cassandra James, Dan Bertolini, Tharshiny Varapragasam, Bhavani Somasundaram, Ishwaria Chandru
CinematographyArsenij Gusev
Edited byThomas Buschbeck & Rohan Fernando
Music byAsif Illyas
Production
company
Next Productions
Release date
  • 25 August 2018 (2018-08-25)(Montreal)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageTamil & English

Roobha is a 2018 Canadian film directed and written by Lenin M. Sivam. It was produced by Warren Sinnathamby under the banner of Next Productions and stars Amrit Sandhu and Antonythasan Jesuthasan. It is based on a story by Antonythasan Jesuthasan, who writes under the pseudonym Shoba Sakthi. The film explores the harsh realities faced by a young South-Asian trans-woman who struggles to make a living in Toronto after she is ostracized by her family.

Contents

Roobha had its world premiere at Montreal World Film Festival on August 25, 2018. [1] [2] It was also the opening film of the 18th Annual Reelworld Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, an Official Selection for the Cambridge Film Festival, [3] Official Selection in the World Panorama Section of the International Film Festival of India in Goa, [4] Official Selection of the Windsor International Film Festival in Canada, Official Selection of the Whistler Film Festival in Canada, London Indian Film Festival in UK, Official Selection of the Melbourne Indian Film Festival in Australia, and Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. [5]

Plot

Roobha, a trans-woman, struggles to make a living in Toronto after she is ostracized by her family. Her chance encounter with a family man, Anthony, leads to a beautiful romance. However, their blissful existence is short-lived as their families soon discover their relationship.

Cast

Festivals

Reception

A review at That Shelf wrote, "Sivam’s bittersweet love story highlights the best and the worst of what humanity has to offer. The film depicts acts of prejudice, cruelty, and malice that leave you feeling cynical about a better tomorrow. But Roobha also features acts of love, compassion, and selflessness that remind us what makes the world worth saving" [6] while Asian Movie Pulse found " There was a number of scenes where it felt like it could have been better but considering the importance of the way the story is said and the budget, it is an accomplishment the makers could be proud of." [7]

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References

  1. "ROOBHA: UNE FEMME PLUS QUE FANTASTIQUE". sequences. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Lenin M Sivam's 'Roobha': A Canadian film on transgender stigma". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  3. "'Through Roobha, we wanted the LGBTQ+ community to fearlessly assert their rights as human beings'". The Times of India. 22 October 2018. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  4. "Roobha's Worldwide Release Is A Labour Of Love". TamilCulture.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  5. Chakraborty, Sucheta (26 June 2019). "At the end of the rainbow". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  6. Staff, That Shelf (17 November 2020). "Roobha Review". That Shelf. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  7. Mohan, Jithin (15 June 2019). "Film Review: Roobha (2018) by Lenin M. SIvam (LIFF LGBTQ Screening)". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 4 March 2024.