Summary
Girls Will Be Girls is an intensely moving coming-of-age drama film set in modern India. While the film is presented as a coming-of-age drama, it navigates much deeper to peel the layers of violence and turbulence of the journey into womanhood, female agency, societal expectations, conflict among generations, and the struggle of growing up.
In a small conservative town in the northern Himalayas, the story is centered around Mira, a sixteen-year-old girl dominated by her overbearing and controlling mother, Anila. Mira is, like many young women her age, caught at the crossroads of wishful thinking, rebellion, and the dizzying maze of the rules set by society for girls transitioning into adulthood.
Mira has no option but to live within the boundaries set by her: excelling in academics, being modest, obeying, and exhibiting “proper” behavior. At home, her mother keeps unyielding control in case Mira takes a step of the beaten track. Weaving together a much greater narrative archetype, Anila’s concerns, and remorse entwined in vigilance has less to do with worry, and more with her own lived realities and fears resulting in a difficult and strained relationship with her daughter.
Yearning for freedom and autonomy, Mira begins to secretly investigate her self concept. She develops a bond with Samir, a more experienced man who epitomizes both adventure and the temptation of taboo. In hushed tones during stolen moments and through the excitement of first love, Mira forge new experiences, granting her a taste of independence for the very first time.
Nevertheless, Girls Will Be Girls is anything but a straightforward teenage love story. As Mira and Samir’s relationship evolves, the film uncovers the various dynamics young women have to grapple with while trying to pursue their agency in a highly judgmental society. Mira’s decisions and their fallout highlight the contradictory expectations on girls: where boys are often granted a free pass to youthful escapades, girls such as Mira carry the weight of shame and criticism.
The plot thickens when Mira’s secret world intersects with her mother’s expectations. Anila, feeling her daughter’s emotional withdrawal and recognizing her own adolescence, fights with Mira amid raw confrontation. The soft hand of a nurturing mother and the fierce grip of controlling power reveal themselves in this complex dynamic. Through these interactions, the film sheds light on how mothers and daughters become trapped in cyclical power conflicts shaped by years of rigid patriarchal society.
However, Girls Will Be Girls is not a tale of failure. Rather, it is a tale of awakening—for both Mira and Anila. The film brilliantly captures how both women, albeit dealing with different parts of their lives, struggle with their own forms of freedom and yearning. Anila, with her past doing a number on her, confronts her suppressed dreams and fears, and Mira attempts to navigate a space that is incessantly trying to box her in.
By the end of the film, the story makes it seem as if for Mira, the journey is as much about the ‘first love’ experience as it is about getting back control of her body, decisions, and what lies ahead of her. The peak of the story comes as an avalanche of emotional confrontations that resolve in the unveiling of truths where both mother and daughter confront one another as not rivals, but rather two sides of the same coin.
The film closes out on a cautiously hopeful note. After facing emotional turmoil and judgment, Mira steps back into society with a better grasp of her identity. Anila softens in the process too, coming to terms with the reality that protecting her daughter from harsh realities will only cost Mira’s true self. Ultimately, Girls Will Be Girls serves as a poignant reflection on the evolution, grit, and powerful connection women share across different generations.
Cast & Crew
Girls Will Be Girls would not have its emotional resonance and authenticity without its stellar cast and visionary crew who approach this intricate story with impartiality and gentleness.
Preeti Panigrahi as Mira
The energy, curiosity, and candid restlessness of a young woman on the verge of self-discovery are beautifully captured by Preeti Panigrahi, marking her up as a breakout performer. Her portrayal of Mira is unflinching, making the character deeply relatable and compelling.
Kani Kusruti as Anila
The role of stern, deeply conflicted mother Anila is emphasized through Kani Kusruti’s performance. Her sensitive depiction showcases the fraught struggle of a mother trying to contain her child while simultaneously battling the demons of her past. Kusruti refrains from rendering Anila as a villain and strongly depicts a woman bound by the desires and fears she tamed throughout her life.
Kesav Binoy Kiron as Samir
Kiron portrays Samir with complexity and charm, shying away from the stereotype of the older love interest. In the context of a girl’s romantic awakening, her portrayal sheds light on a character that seems on surface level, riddled with society’s contradictory expectations regarding gender roles, to serve as a commentary on those very reflections.
Crew:
Director: Shuchi Talati
Shuchi Talati’s direction is both tender and ruthless. She captures the details of Mira’s world while balancing quiet self-reflection with powerful emotional confrontations. Talati gracefully approaches the sensitive topics presented, ensuring the film does not fall into sensationalism’s traps.
Screenwriter: Shuchi Talati
The screenplay is sharp, candid, and profoundly sympathetic. Talati’s writing explores the psychological landscapes of her protagonists, crafting dialogue that rings true and scenarios that hit home on a global scale.
Cinematographer: Nikhil Nagaraj
The visual storytelling of Nikhil Nagaraj greatly achieves the film’s emotional resonance. The use of natural light and close framing captures Mira’s intimate space and makes her internal journey seem immediate and experiential.
Editor: Atanu Mukherjee
The pacing of editing allows emotional headways of the story to land. Mukherjee connects Mira’s private scenes and fraught interactions with Anila silently while retaining intimacy in the film’s tone.
Music Composer: Ishaan Chhabra
The film is beautifully scored by Ishaan Chhabra, whose music does not overshadow the narrative but adds emotional depth to it. The melodies undercut Mira’s high and low experiences and draws the audience’s empathy towards her journey.
Critical Concerns
The film Girls Will Be Girls has received undisguised admiration for its narrative and emotional elements. It utilizes raw feminism as a strong theme, capturing the essence of ‘growing as a woman’ through adolescence—something many critics point out is absent in most Indian films.
Many claim that Preeti Panigrahi’s portrayal of Mira is nothing short of a revelation, which is not unreasonable because some deem it courageous, and gushingly heartbreaking in honesty. Kani Kusruti’s Anila is equally sophisticated and complex; much praise has been directed at her avoidance of caricatures and her nuanced representation of a mother torn by love and fear.
The portrayal of glaring societal inequalites received ample endorsement from viewers who were eager to discuss the fact that younger women seem to be judged much more than their male peers, despite possessing identical motives. The film’s angle of a mother-daughter relationship adds another dimension of emotion, merging the experiences of different generations into one narrative.
Most critics consider the pacing of the film as slow-burning, which others still argued would allow deeper engagement with the characters and their emotional experiences—and surprisingly, that very idea ended up being less favorable.
Conclusion
The film Girls Will Be Girls is emotionally gripping and exceedingly brave, demonstrating the complete reality of the female experience, details of adolescence, emotion, desire, and perennially defined control and rebellion of one generation onto the other. The film’s sensitive direction and astonishing performances takes it far beyond the typical coming-of-age stories, telling a culturally rich, yet emotionally universal tale.
It embraces honesty, while simultaneously recounting realities that many may find daunting; compassionate modes underpin the film. Because of this, Girls Will Be Girls resolutely shifts the narrative from traditional notions of growing up to emphasize the indomitable spirit of women and the silent revolutions that occur within the walls of a house, inside a heart, and within society.
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