Angry Indian Goddesses

There are movies that are pitched as being Feminist but preach all the wrong ideas, corrupting the progress of the actual movement. There are movies that try to inspire but make a mess of it in the end. And then there are movies like this one- talking about the right things, using the right analogies, and not mincing words while they are at it. The first half of the movie was a buddy movie- women from different parts of the country coming to Goa to be a part of their friend's wedding. These women occupy different social benchmarks, fulfill different roles in their respective positions and it is the diversity in the characters that push the movie forward. The diversity is not in their socioeconomic status or in their behavior- the main difference lies in the way they view the world. Some of these women are forward-thinkers while some ascribe to different notions about womanhood and the conversations between these women bring out a lot of positivity and understanding- serving as an example of how different backgrounds can meld together and create a beautiful congress of thoughts and ideas.

The second half takes on a different tone. The plot is darker and there are complex issues to be dealt with. The movie tries to talk about a lot of different things at the same time and at times it felt like it was going to be a hotchpotch of widely-varying topics. Thankfully, the director and the cast bring things together effectively, making it a remarkable package. The moral of the story was truly beautiful and I hope would serve to inspire people to broaden their horizons and stand up for what is right.

A beautiful movie. Definitely much better than most commercial films in Bollywood.

As a foreigner, coming from a country with a very high degree of gender equality, I am not native to the realities portrayed in this film, nor have I watched many Bollywood movies. Yet it is my opinion that the film in an emotionally moving and very aesthetically pleasing way,through captivating music and great cinematography, raises the important themes of women equality, emancipation and the hardship of discrimination in today's India. From the ease of the intimate dialogue among the varied women, the viewers are allowed to experience the challenges first hand, in the voice of the characters themselves. The viewer is included, almost as if he is sitting there beside them as they laugh, quarrel, debate, cry and grief ...

I loved this movie and I still listen to the songs: the "Dil dola re"is very catchy and energetic, while the "Zindagi" ("life") is profound in all its beauty and tenderness (look them up at Youtube). If you're new to Bollywood movies this seems like a good place to start, while at the same time you are exposed to a very important theme in contemporary Indian society.

Oh my goodness, this movie was amazing! I recently re-watched the movie via Netflix and still love it. The beginning scene of the movie where you are introduced to the characters and their personalities is perfect, diving into their backstory without having to do flashbacks throughout the movie. Within the first few minutes of the movie you get a sense of the underlying story beyond the main characters. I watched this movie at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) back in 2015 where, I believe, it was still looking for a major film distributor. The movie was so popular that the festival added a 4th screening and it came second for People's Choice Award (almost unheard of for a foreign movie without a major distributor going into the festival). I remember the actors being introduced with the director after the movie and the group seemed to be good friends, which helped with the on screen performance. Interestingly enough, some scenes, especially at the beginning of the movie, were almost entirely improvised and the director just kept the camera rolling (cool right?). What you get is a completely realistic friendship between the actors which helps the audience relate to the story. The story has a very strong feminist plot, but I believe this is an incredibly important story to watch with its relevance in the world today.

I too am angry. So angry. The way these women express their love towards each other is beautiful, and the anger and unhappiness they express towards their lives and their possibilities to be free in every way is heartbreaking.

We, women all over the world, know this anger and feel that love. It has to be a change coming.

I was very moved by the entire story.

The story is an average one of a all girl bachelor party, that being the set up and the focus on issues that are related to Indian women. Nothing out of the box issues or the way it is handled. The ending had to have some drama, and it has, again nothing out of the box. The editing could have been crispier, will give a 6 out of 10 there.

Those were the flaws, now comes the good part.

Genuinely superb acting from 3 of the 7 leads, I know 2-3 of them and not by name or at least I didn't. I do not know whether to credit the director or the actors, but it was a superb performance from the actors.

Hilarious at times, crude at time, raunchy at times but you will enjoy it. That the director took the initiative of making these girls as crude as 'Masti', was enough for me to watch the movie. I do not see too many Hindi movies, but I never expected words like D*#do, Or#$@sm and stuff like that ad the way the scenes were handled were brilliant.

The characters were genuinely alive, you see them everyday. You feel like you know them, the problems they face in everyday life is very common to me and you and girls lusting over shirtless guys and things like that captured the free spirited modern Indian lady so well.

The script could have been tighter, but still it was very very good. The director really took the best from the actors, especially (let me check the name) Pavleen Gujral, brilliant as the ex-gold-medalist-now-housewife r,ole showing her hesitations as a typical Indian woman and Sarah Dias's superb restraint acting towards the end of the movie. Sandhya Mridul was a little over the top, still good, Anushka was good at times, never bad and the rest were also good, if not great.

Watch the movie just because of the acting, timing and mainly the way the director has beautifully set up the screenplay. I fast forwarded the Salman starrer super predictable Sultan in 1.15 hours, couldn't complete the hamming of the legendary AB in Te3n and Piku, but I was able to watch this movie in one go. If you are getting my drift, you will enjoy the movie.

It is a must watch for every urban man and woman of the age group of 20 to 50. Forget the theme, just enjoy the movie and make sure your kids are not nearby.

Hats off to the new generation of Indian women and to the director