Girls Will Be Girls

Well, I haven't watched any of Shuchi Talati's short films yet, so this is my first exposure to her work. And I must say, she exhibits the finesse of a seasoned filmmaker in the coming-of-age drama genre. She's able to extract exceptional performances from her lead trio (Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron) and offer very nuanced takes on a conflicting mother-daughter relationship, a teenage romance that gradually leads to sexual awakening, and a mother who's yet to truly come of age herself. I'm not one to complain of its unhurried pacing, minimalist score (the lack of which actually contributes more to certain scenes), and English-speaking characters in mostly non-English-speaking environments.

The boarding school setting does feel like it's part of a distinct universe, but the emotions portrayed in the film are very candid and honest. I particularly loved the plot progression-Mira's urge to understand (and quench) her sexual needs, being heckled by some of her peers at school, trying to avert her boyfriend from giving too much attention to her mother, and figuring out whether her love is just "puppy love" or "big-dog love." When a film doesn't offer answers to every question, it leaves room for further thought. Girls Will Be Girls deserves a lot more attention in my eyes.

Watched this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Filmmaker Shuchi Talati creates a beautiful, tender and complex story on exploring female sexuality, culture, and mother & daughter relationship with strong performances, great camerawork, and ambitious writing. Talati's writing and direction felt genuine, sweet and nature on capturing the characters interactions and personalities that were well-developed and interesting and approaching the themes and cultures of India with sweet tenderness and complexity.

The camerawork shooting in 4:3 aspect ratio felt purposeful and helped create the atmosphere of the setting. Many of the performances are really good and the characters are interesting as I felt genuine connection and investment to the characters. You are able to get engagement, connection and understanding of many of the characters and the mother and daughter aspects were strong. Good costumes and production designs throughout as well.

The only gripe I have is that I felt certain aspects were a little too long and could have been shorten.

Art-house India cinema is interesting as they are not something I have often seen but Girls Will Be Girls is likely going to be my newest favorite art-house India movie.

If " Boys will be Boys " is true then " Girls Will Be Girls " should equally be true. This movie more or less proves this and this is admirably done collectively by a talented girls team of actresses, cinematographer, music director and editor led by director Shuchi Lalati. A coming-of-age story which girls/women would like watching and relate to. As I started watching the movie, initially I was put off by the slow pace of the narrative but it soon turned interesting. Preeti Panigrahi plays Mira a senior school girl on the threshold of adolescence who has her hands full balancing issues like a strict helicopter mother, focus on studies, responsibility of school head girl, attraction to a boy student and satisfying her curiosities. It is a learning process for her every step of the way. Preeti has brought out the internal conflict, awkwardness, insecurity and vulnerability of the character very effectively.

Director Shuchi Talati has made a well crafted, simple, sensitive and endearing movie dwelling on a mother-daughter relationship depicting emotional nuances which are truly touching. She has extracted good performances from Preeti Panigrahi ( Mira), Kani Kusruti ( mother Anila) and Kesav Binoy Kiron ( boyfriend Sri). The sequences are framed and photographed artistically and the cinematography is top class. The different aspect ratio has been used effectively.

Rating - 3.75/5

A beautiful tale portraying the insecurities,foibles,whims and fancies of a young girl through a realistic template.

The story moves through the life of a young obedient high school girl developing an infatuation and how the mother diplomatically brings her teenage daughter to a stage of self realisation about the fantasies and immature behaviour in a teenage girl.

Shuchi Talati has conceived a sublime thought for the movie and has executed it perfectly onto the screen. She has effortlessly taken the viewers through contents like sexuality,sex education,self pleasure,self exploration and immature relationships through intricate moments that can be well connected by everyone who have passed through that life stage. The intriguing screenplay has kept the audience completely attached to the screens with exemplary performances from the central characters.

Splendid performance by Preeti Panigrahi showing raw emotions from love, excitement and anxiety to lost,void and conflict. Subtle performance by Kani Kusruthi as a caring mother. Impressive performances were made by Kesav Binoy,Devika Shahani & Kajol Chugh.

Special mention to the Cinematographer,the editor & the casting director for their effort in giving this timeless visual craft.

The audience after closure of the movie may feel that whether Shuchi has given the title to the movie on a pessimistic note. A great movie that is worth watching to cherish your adolescence fantasies and mischievousness.

Absolutely obsessed with Shuchi's work-what an incredible talent! I loved "Girls Will Be Girls" from start to finish. There were some truly scream-out-loud moments (I even got shushed in the theatre at Sundance London). The sharp social commentary on mother-daughter relationships was brilliantly executed (the chai scenes broke my wee heart). The 'realness' of young female sexual awakening (the teddy scene) was amazing as it's so rarely seen on screen! The characters were complex and relatable, making the story both engaging and thought-provoking. I can't wait to watch and analyze it all over again. The cinematography, in particular, was exceptional, capturing the nuances of each scene beautifully. Shuchi has truly crafted a masterpiece with this film.