Awards Won, But Tribeny Rai Says Back Home She’s Still Asked About Marriage

Shape of Momo director Tribeny Rai says, despite winning awards at Busan and KIFF, people back home still ask, 'Shaadi kab kar rahe ho?' Her Nepali-language Sikkim debut releases in theatres on May 29.

Shape of Momo's is set to have a theatrical release across India on May 29.

Source : Screenshot from YouTube

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• Rai encourages regional filmmakers to tell their own stories.

It takes a certain kind of courage to make a film about the world you grew up in, especially when that world has rarely, if ever, been seen on a cinema screen. Tribeny Rai, the first-time filmmaker behind Shape of Momo, did exactly that. Her Nepali-language debut, shot entirely in Sikkim with local artists and set inside her own village home, has travelled across continents, collected awards at international film festivals, and earned the backing of some of the most respected names in Indian independent cinema. And yet, when she returns to her village, the conversation quickly moves away from all of that. People congratulate her on the film and then, almost in the same breath, ask when she is getting married.

Awards Won, Marriage Questions Unchanged

Tribeny did not hold back while speaking about this ahead of Shape of Momo's theatrical release across India on May 29. The film had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in September 2025, where it won the Songwon Vision Award and the Taipei Film Commission Award. It also went on to win the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award at the Kolkata International Film Festival. Despite all of this, she says the reception back home has remained painfully familiar.

"After doing the rounds of festivals, when I go back to my village and bump into someone, they say, 'Film ho gayi, congratulations. Shaadi kab kar rahe ho?' ['The film is done. Congratulation. So, when are you getting married?']" she shared. She also spoke about growing up feeling like a second-class citizen despite coming from what she describes as a progressive society, and said that this pressure shaped her decision to make the film. "When you grow up thinking you are less of a person than the other gender, you end up making a film like Shape of Momo," she said.

Film Is Rooted In Representation

Shape of Momo tells the story of a woman who returns home after quitting her job and finds herself up against patriarchy and unrealistic expectations placed on her. For Tribeny, the story was deeply personal. She said that growing up, she never saw people like herself or stories from her community reflected on screen, and that was one of the key reasons she chose to make the film in Nepali and set it in her own house in her village. The film has the backing of filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, and Payal Kapadia, making it what Tribeny believes is unlike anything Sikkim has seen before. "I don't think any film from Sikkim has got the kind of support that this film has," she said.

Rather than directing frustration at Bollywood or mainstream Indian cinema for underrepresenting the North East, Tribeny chose a different perspective entirely. She said that instead of complaining about misrepresentation, filmmakers from the region should take charge of their own stories. "This is the digital age; everyone is making films. We should take the reins into our own hands. If you want to be the hero of your story, you have to do it yourself," she said.

As the film opens in select screens across India, Tribeny admitted to being nervous about how home audiences will receive it, particularly because the film does not follow the conventions of a typical mainstream protagonist. But she remains hopeful, drawing confidence from the warmth the film has already found with audiences worldwide.