User Reviews

Bollywood is a dream factory. For most parts it meats out obnoxious sequences far away from life, just to help its audience realize on screen, what if.

Rakhee Sandilya's Ribbon on the other hand tries to mirror life in its minute details. a young couple ( Kalki as Sahana & Sumeet as Karan) who are ambitious about their career and aspire for a picture perfect life, go through the turmoils of life.

They haven't planned for a baby (as they have other financial responsibilities to take care of) but Sahana gets pregnant, they are not sure how to react to it, but trust on each others support to raise a family. Sahana gets demoted when she joins back after childbirth and has to leave her job because of bad treatment. Karan has to find other alternatives to make ends meet and takes up an opportunity in another city, coming back home only on weekends. As they find solutions to manage something, a new challenge crops up. As the world seems to fall apart they still find each others support. But how much can the ribbon binding them really stretch. Things really snap when they find out that their child had been molested. They really need to find strength in themselves and in each other to get through this.

It is a beautiful narrative, devoid of any overtly melodramatic moments, trying to aptly portray the busy career-oriented couples of today. What really makes it work though is the excellent performance of the actors. It is not an entertainer, but a slice of life in the real sense.

Contrary to popular opinion (based on its opening day reviews), "Ribbon" is one of those movies that has the power to really speak to a particular set of Indians who constitute about a little less than a quarter of the nation's population. It is for those young Indian adults who are still ripe in their early years out of the protective nest of family and student environment. It is for the "not-so- niche-anymore" set of latest adults who impress in their corporate jobs, managing the other "not- so-young" adults during the day; and frequent music gigs and stand up comedy acts as they swig their brewed beer or wine at night. It is for those just married out of love found in college or just starting to get serious with the one they are currently with. I retract my statement that it is for them. This is about them. This is them.

The plot highlights several widespread but lesser known troubles of the modern Indian society. It shows how the sophisticated Indian offices are still not so sympathetic towards a women's basic right to a maternity leave. The male chauvinist still cannot help but jump upon a chance to step past and stomp the female on his way up the office ranks, making sure that she does not get back up and pose a threat again, in fear that in absence of her unfair circumstances, she might actually beat him to the throne when it comes down to raw talent and intelligence. A behaviour in line with the oppression of the weaker sex practiced since time immoral in rural households of urban cities.

The story depicts the relationship of the modern Indian adult very well. Unlike the conventional teaching that two individuals should think and act like one under wedlock, the men and women of today have a well established understanding and awareness about their own personal space and freedom. They never forget that they are independent individuals at the end of the day. They loathe dependency. They know it as the enemy. They are well aware of their rights. In some cases, even too aware for their own good. But, that does not mean these relationships are doomed to fail. These are very interesting human beings and they know how to keep each other entertained. It will be foolish to undermine the importance of that. They also happen to have a much broader mindset with a capacity to be much more understanding and hence, completely skipping some of the potential fights that can wreck marriages. The movie shows the unadulterated version of the cute Indian romance. It gives a peek into the formation and life of a nuclear family in India today. We get to see that the young Indian adult today is impulsive. One unfortunate incident due to neither of their fault, nullifies all the happiness they created over the years, makes them turn on each other and even jump to separation, all in one single night's argument. This is followed up by the new found Indian maturity where they have the ability to organize their jumbled thoughts, think objectively and in silent understanding, undo any foolish statements made in haste.

The plot twister in the movie is about a discouragingly widespread crime of child molestation. We can clearly see the unanticipated nature of this offence as the parents are left taking wild guesses while they run over the list of people their precious daughter comes in contact with in a day, all trusted guardians they have known for years. There is the society's resistance to accept the occurrence of the crime itself, then the blame game and finally, the repression of the act itself because the ones affected, do not think the possibility for justice is worth scarring their daughter for life.

This movie has a very relatable narration and some powerful questions alongside it.

Which pages are we missing from the books of Indra Nooyi or Angela Merkel? Or is it the Indian men who need to take a page out of someone else's book?

The sufferings of the young Indian adults, with their fancy cars and take out food, are often dismissed in front of the millions of others who "really struggle" to put even a square meal on their family's plates. But is it really a reasonable comparison or excuse to downplay their issues? If the poor get their quota, then don't the "privileged" get to keep their problems?

Which punishment fits the crime of child molestation? Who will provide justice, when the lady responsible currently is blindfolded?

Well, the story started off really good with the realities and challenges faced by two working couples in raising a child. It had very minute details about each phases in life. However it ends up in some other concept? Or is it for the viewer to assume or decide?

Good one time watch

My reaction after 45minutes was whats the kind of movie this, nothing is going further story is going no where but the way everything from first scene got connected during the conversation between both husband and wife at the end has showed how the marriage life works out and its chain where a conversations starts at Z and comes back to A. Its actually a strong caution for parents who are working where in the stage of upbringing of their child they blindly trust many people.

The shots taken were not professional, camera panned shaky if you closely examine it. The background actors should have done better with their acting skills. Coming to the story, it was mediocrely made but genuinely needed. First point of subject is struggle about a pregnant woman who struggles in corporate office and after pregnancy her built-up heights in her office crashes due to sexism and injustice. And the second most important aspect that the movie has pinpointed is about child-abuse, this subject came after dealing with the previous subject and how parents fought with the school system and all to get their daughter her right.