Girls Will Be Girls

The coming of age process is different for everyone, and that's especially true for those of different generations. Those who underwent this rite of passage years ago, however, arguably may have faced more challenges and restrictions than what's present in these more liberated and open-minded times, and such individuals may be somewhat envious of the privileges that have been afforded their younger counterparts. That's very much the case with Anila (Kani Kusruti) and her teenage daughter, Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), who has (or at least should have) a comparatively easier time with this than her mother did. Nevertheless, Anila still expects Mira to conform to the rigid standards of her own youth, enrolling her in a strict Himalayan boarding school and hovering around her like an overprotective helicopter parent, particularly when she befriends a young man, Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron), who becomes a budding - if severely restricted - romantic interest. Despite these constraints, though, Mira is supremely curious to clandestinely explore her emerging sexuality and female drives while at least superficially maintaining the image of propriety expected of a young Indian girl. Matters become further complicated, however, when Anila takes more than a passing supervisory interest in her daughter's new beau, a dynamic that produces added friction between mother and daughter. As if adolescence weren't complicated enough in itself, these circumstances raise the tension level inside the family household, in the relationship between the two youngsters and in the mind of someone who's trying to figure out her life under conditions fraught with confusion, contradiction, constraint and more than a few double standards. Writer-director Shuchi Talati's debut feature takes a nuanced, mature look at what can often be a baffling time of life, one that's made even more complex by the potent influences impacting it. The film tends to fizzle somewhat as it approaches its conclusion, almost as if the director doesn't quite know how to wrap up the story. But that doesn't hinder the production overall when it comes to covering some previously unexplored fertile ground when it comes to a subject that's often handled tritely and riddled with clichés. This recipient of two Independent Spirit Awards - for Kusruti's supporting performance and as a candidate for the competition's John Cassavetes Award - definitely makes a mark among 2024's releases, even if, as the premiere offering from a new filmmaker, it could use some shoring up at times. That aside, though, "Girls Will Be Girls" is an impressive start for a promising new auteur, one well worth streaming online. Indeed, through this work, audiences may never view the coming of age process in quite the same way ever again.

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.

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.

Beautiful arthousery with minimal score and embellishment throughout. Yet, this piece brings forth Mira's raw coming-of-age, squashed amidst conventionalities and retrogrades. To watch this unfold was high-key disturbing-whether the makers intended the innuendos or not. The reality of this creation, basking in truth, was commendable, making this a worthwhile watch. Kani Kusruti and Preeti Panigrahi portray their mother-daughter relationship so beautifully. The friendships, the sexual awakening, the hatred, the rivalry-we have all seen it and been through it.

Several aspects felt so incoherent. Is she a hosteller? Why is she home often? Does her dad appear and disappear as per his fictional convenience? There was nothing to hold these elements together while the makers were busy weaving something else. Art is not always supposed to make sense, but loopholes are rarely pardoned in such instances.