Rabia And Olivia (2023) :
Movie Review -
Shadab Khan's Rabia and Olivia explores the emotional bond between a little girl and her nanny. We have been reading and hearing such stuff since our childhood, from our grandparents and others. The most popular tale has to be that of Lord Krishna, who was born to Devaki but raised by Yashoda. One doesn't have to be a biological mother to provide true motherly love; that's what we have learned from our ancient stories, and it is quite true too. Rabia and Olivia is a second-handed take on the same topic with a mother and daughter set in two different countries. The daughter is a foreigner and the mother is Indian-that's the only first-hand formula in this film, along with a strong emotional bond.
Olivia (Helena Prinzen Klague) has lost her mother and is suffering from mental distress. Her father brings a nanny, Rabia (Nayab Khan), who quickly befriends Olivia, and they have a good time. Rabia is an Indian who is struggling to find a job in Canada, but this low-profile job gives her stability. However, her smooth life is disturbed when she decides to stop the medications given to Olivia, which she is not supposed to have stopped. Due to Olivia's sensitive mental health, her father gets furious at Rabia's decision and fires her from the job. The matter goes to court while Olivia goes to the hospital for ill health. Will these two meet again and Rabia get released from all charges?
Shadab Khan's aim to write Rabia and Olivia is clear. He just wanted to make an emotional film on the matter, which is relevant to many foreigners and Indians. The problem appears in the screenplay, which is a little dragging and tedious. OTT gives you the option of fast-forwarding, so I assume that you are saved. What's more harmful are irrelevant conflicts. All that courtroom drama and viral video stuff doesn't make much sense, and you lose interest in the film. Thankfully, they appear in the last quarter of the film, so at least you're hooked in the first three quarters.
Nayab Khan is a good find. She has done Na Band Na Barati and received acclaim for the role, but I think Rabia's role was more challenging. She has done a better job too. Helena looks as cute as Olivia, and she's a mature performer too. Sheeba Chaddha is experienced enough to play the role of an ageing mother. Expectedly, she does fine; it's only that her role is not big enough. The supporting cast of Shadab Khan, Afroz Khan, Mustafa Sheikh, and Shehriyar Khan look decent. As a whole, the acting unit is satisfactory.
Rabia and Olivia has a emotional story that will work for parents and kids. It might even leave them with a positive message, especially for working parents who are not able to give enough time to their kids. It's not a long film, and let's just thank the editor for that. Though, it's a bit stretched. The music shows its pace is slow, despite being outright situational. The cinematography and sound design are okay. Shadab Khan's direction convinces you to believe this story despite its many flaws because he doesn't hurt the soul of the film. You just have to be a sentimental person to get carried away by the bonding that you see here. It could have been better with more crispness in the writing, though. Nevertheless, it's a decent watch for a limited audience.
RATING - 5/10*
