Girls Will Be Girls (2024)

Girls Will Be Girls Review

There is a tradition of showing precocious teens on film for better or worse. Teenagers, especially Americans are observant, manipulative, sexualized and adventurous observable even if not relatable as in “Heathers”, “Mean Girls”, “Euphoria” and “Mean Girls”. However in the rest of filmmaking about adolescence there are so many other ways to grow up. There are teenagers who still feel like children and some who can’t act on their changing minds and bodies while others do not share new interests with their peers and as such feel alienated. It’s about one such teenager that Shuchi Talati makes her mark at Sundance with “Girls Will Be Girls,” which follows a quiet, obedient, book-smart student named Mira (Preeti Panigrahi).

Having been appointed as the first female head prefect at her boarding school in North India, Mira has been entrusted with the duty of keeping her classmates and friends in line. However when new student Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiran) arrives this quickly becomes difficult for the star student both socially and academically but also adds a terrifying variable to her already tumultuous relationship with mother Anila (Kani Kusruti).

Her debut feature sees Talati expertly capture that silent wonderment tinged by throbbing intensity typical of teenage years, first love, caring about someone whose conflicting duties and desires often prevent them from acting how they know they should it’s Anila not Sri though, he brings out emotions neither woman knew she had or could ever have imagined having thus creating an emotionally charged background against which everything else unfolds. In writing this piece she does so from empathy rather than judgement because every word uttered or any shot taken reveals just how much love went into creating Mira’s character alone among all others featured here.

Even while describing events which audience may have experienced before dialogue remains careful yet genuine; it shows Mira in the end not as naive but as many young people feel during their path of discovery like an explorer.

This is also Panigrahi’s first role in a film ever thanks largely to open calls made by casting director Dilip Shankar (responsible for “Life of Pi” and “Monsoon Wedding”). The actress does not disappoint either displaying pride with which she carries herself while at school or even more subtly adjusting confidence levels vis-à-vis Sri. Over again she shows how much affection for this character resides within her thus making it possible that new found sexual awareness/rebellion could be seen as strengths rather than weaknesses, plus chemistry between these two (another newcomer) actors feels so real one can almost touch it thereby perfectly capturing excitement surrounding budding romances coupled with stolen glances. Kusruti strikes just right balance between woman wrestling against own arrested development while trying too hard shield & nurture daughter something few works succeed at achieving but definitely not here.

Talati’s production team deserves equal credit for creating such an intimate story from start to finish; you really believe that every single frame has been thought through carefully. As they grow closer together, we get treated gasp inducing shots showing their tentatively touching hands as well some cleverly placed close ups which carry all emotional weight behind any physical relationship there might be between them. Carole Verner, Laure Arto and Colin Favre-Bulle have done marvellous work on sound design because each word spoken now lingers far longer than usual with added depth (Sneha Kanwalkar should also be commended here since one her original songs accompanies most relatable scenes ever witnessed by yours truly).

“Girls Will Be Girls” is different from commercial Hindi cinema in that it does not force themes down the throats of a large global audience. The movie prefers the use of insinuations to directness and so remains open ended in its implications, title and ultimate moments which can be interpreted in various ways. According to Talati, there is always something poignant about being a girl, hence she makes everything beautiful even when she talks about heartaches and uncertainties during this period. While movies such as “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani” may have been designed as blockbusters that challenge patriarchy while pushing for change elsewhere too, ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ supports its female characters by recognizing that personal freedom fights are won within families, schools or sometimes when one is alone listening to loud music in their bedroom.”

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