Kalki impresses, but thin storytelling leaves urban parenting drama undercooked.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Critic consensus
Critical reception for Ribbon is mixed to mildly negative, with most reviewers acknowledging the film's relevant and underexplored subject matter around urban parenting and workplace pressures while finding its execution lacking. Kalki Koechlin's performance draws repeated praise, and several critics recognize director Rakhee Sandilya's ambition in addressing topics rarely seen in mainstream Bollywood. However, the most common criticism is that the film spreads itself too thin, touching on multiple issues without developing any of them with sufficient depth or narrative heft. The abrupt ending and uneven pacing are also frequently cited as shortcomings.
1 not-rated review isn't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 12 critic reviews · may contain errors
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Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
Nice to see man and woman working, and dealing with stuff that happens post-marriage: all the messy, irritating stuff that has not been part of the happily-ever-after Bollywood landscape. Kalki Koechlin leaves a mark as a harried professional.
Top critic
Film review ·
For all that is going for it, Ribbon falls a trifle short of hitting home, but it does provide enough evidence to suggest that Rakhee Sandilya has it in her to be a director to watch.
Film review ·
Ribbon makes one realise several things about the world around us — jobs have become demanding beyond decency, maternity leave is a career killer and an inconvenience at best and trust no one with your minor child. But despite all the ills inflicted upon us, it summarises with the predictable message that if we band together, we'll get by.
Film review ·
Ribbon has its share of flaws. So relentless is the focus on the protagonists' lives that we barely get a glimpse into the lives of the other (interesting but sketchy) characters, like Sahana's friend or Karan's father or the babysitter who evidently leads a life as adventurous as her employers, if not more. But that, some other time.
Film review ·
At a time when Bollywood is journeying away from the usual potboilers, a film like Ribbon is more than welcome. It addresses subjects that Bollywood and even parents sometimes shy away from addressing to their children. So even if the film is a little bland and a little uneven per se, Ribbon makes for a better watch than most of the no-brainers today.
Film review ·
Ribbon is an insightful and mature relationship drama that showcases the trials and tribulations of parenting in the city. In a way it's a perfect companion piece to Vikramaditya Motwane's Trapped in which a young man is pushed to his mental and physical limits as he becomes a forgotten entity in the crowded metropolis.
Film review ·
Ribbon starts off with one storyline and ends with another, but fails to capture the gamut of both. Rakhee Sandilya has started a conversation on a less-spoken human emotion, very humanely. If only she had taken one route and explored it to its optimum level.
Film review ·
Not all ideas translate well to film and though are some moments of note, if Ribbon works at all, it is credit to Koechlin's and Vyas' committed and convincing performances.
Film review ·
Ribbon rakes up a lot of issues that deserve at least a discourse in the current scenario, but instead, ends up only fleetingly touching these. Neither the characters nor the narrative take upon the evils and the evil-doers.
Film review ·
At the end of all, Ribbon tries to portray something really bad happening around us. It's just the sludgy route it takes that bothers throughout. Watch only if you can ignore all of the above flaws.
Film review ·
Despite its relevant premise, Ribbon fails to leave an impact. Though the movie piques your interest in bits and pieces, especially in the second half, the abrupt end will leave you disappointed.
Film review ·
The vantage point that the audience has been given is only interesting for a while, even though Koechlin and Vyas seem capable enough for their roles. Sandilya's attempt at giving us a glimpse into the unseen pressures of urban life is commendable, but the story has neither meat nor heft to keep the audience interested.
From our readers
1 rating · user score 6.0
What put me terribly off is the concocted diversity of issues that a couple face in Rakhee Sandilya's Ribbon, a sweet little film that turns sour right when you are enjoying it. But that's exactly the whole point of showcasing what a couple transforming into a nuclear family face in a metro city in India. From unabashed gender discrimination at work to familial tiffs to issues with the functioning of a household, Ribbon has it all, topped with a violent performance by Kalki Koechlin and an equally competing one by Sumeet Vyas. Parenthood hits them like a typhoon in the US and all that follows is what I like to call new-age problems that do not have solutions. Along with fitting music and numbing dialogues by Raghav Dutt, director Sandilya takes her viewers on a journey that is relatable and nonchalant, eventually taking them to the end of a cliff and threatening that she will push. Ribbon is heartbreaking but it does not fool its audience. It has its flaws - with the major one being convolution - but then indie films have stories to tell. With it with your partner and you will take away a thing or two. TN.
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