<p>Ring Road<br />Kannada (U/A)<br />Cast: Nikita Thukral, Khushie, Avinash, Duniya Vijay, Padmaja Rao, Kishori Ballal, Sagar Puranik, Shrunga<br />Director: Priya Belliappa<br />Rating: Above Average<br /><br /></p>.<p>Hyped as an all-women enterprise, Priya Belliappa’s Ring Road turns out to be pretentious and frivolous. <br /><br />The film has its focus on the psyche of a woman caught between being true to herself and accepting societal dictates. Tracking a real-life tragedy, Priya Belliappa works to put in perspective the inner workings of a girl who spurns her betrothed, becoming his maiden of death. One must admire Priya’s acumen in exploring the external and internal goings-on, wherein alter ego Kushie eggs on an otherwise reticent Suma to be true to herself and give wings to her fantasies. On the other hand, Suma — who is controlled by the regimental rigours of her mother, grandma and criminal-lawyer father, and is expected to toe societal mores — fights the devils within her. It’s up to her whether to revolt or resign to her fate. <br /><br />Narrated in fictional docudrama fashion, Ring Road sidetracks into other attendant issues — Rekha infuriated with her neglectful cop husband Khan pursuing the murder; a besotted Kiran drowning himself in liquor with Suma hardly acknowledging him; celebrity stars providing their take on marital matters... There are several such misgivings in scripting and narration. <br /><br />Where subtlety and seriousness was demanded, Priya Belliappa goes for consumerist kill, complete with wet songs where Kushie is dressed up a la lingerie ads. All these needless digressions never get into the meat of her sensitive subject. <br /><br />Ring Road fails as a film that would have wowed the discerning. Still, with all its pitfalls, the movie must be visited by men and women for introspection of relationships where mutual compatibility matters.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Ring Road<br />Kannada (U/A)<br />Cast: Nikita Thukral, Khushie, Avinash, Duniya Vijay, Padmaja Rao, Kishori Ballal, Sagar Puranik, Shrunga<br />Director: Priya Belliappa<br />Rating: Above Average<br /><br /></p>.<p>Hyped as an all-women enterprise, Priya Belliappa’s Ring Road turns out to be pretentious and frivolous. <br /><br />The film has its focus on the psyche of a woman caught between being true to herself and accepting societal dictates. Tracking a real-life tragedy, Priya Belliappa works to put in perspective the inner workings of a girl who spurns her betrothed, becoming his maiden of death. One must admire Priya’s acumen in exploring the external and internal goings-on, wherein alter ego Kushie eggs on an otherwise reticent Suma to be true to herself and give wings to her fantasies. On the other hand, Suma — who is controlled by the regimental rigours of her mother, grandma and criminal-lawyer father, and is expected to toe societal mores — fights the devils within her. It’s up to her whether to revolt or resign to her fate. <br /><br />Narrated in fictional docudrama fashion, Ring Road sidetracks into other attendant issues — Rekha infuriated with her neglectful cop husband Khan pursuing the murder; a besotted Kiran drowning himself in liquor with Suma hardly acknowledging him; celebrity stars providing their take on marital matters... There are several such misgivings in scripting and narration. <br /><br />Where subtlety and seriousness was demanded, Priya Belliappa goes for consumerist kill, complete with wet songs where Kushie is dressed up a la lingerie ads. All these needless digressions never get into the meat of her sensitive subject. <br /><br />Ring Road fails as a film that would have wowed the discerning. Still, with all its pitfalls, the movie must be visited by men and women for introspection of relationships where mutual compatibility matters.<br /><br /></p>
