- Movie Name:Girls Will Be Girls
- Critics Rating: 4 / 5
- Release Date: December 18, 2024
- Director: Shuchi Talati
- Genre: Coming-of-age story
Bollywood actors Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha turned producers for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival award-winning film, Girls Will Be Girls. While the actors have proven their acting caliber time and again, it was expected of them to give a realistic cinematic experience as they launched their home production. The makers and cast of Girls Will Be Girls have brought back something basic, worthy-watching and profound to say the lead. This film has garnered praise in different film festivals and is now out on Amazon Prime.
Story
The story revolves around Meera played by Preeti Panigrahi, a 12th standard girl who becomes the head prefect of her school. Meera holds affection and likeness for Shri played by Keshav Binoy, who has moved to India after staying in Hong Kong for three years. Meera's mother Anila played by Kani Kusruti, is an alumni of the same school and wants her daughter to focus on her studies rather than getting distracted by anything else. Meera mentions in one of the scenes, 'I can't stand her', with this it becomes clear that the head prefect does not share an ideal relationship with her mother. Sour things turn bitter for Meera as her boyfriend Shri also becomes friends with her mother. Girls Will Be Girls deals with the shades of dynamic change between Meera and Anila. As an audience who just gets to sit and live each moment as this mother-daughter relationship progresses in various directions. Ali and Richa's film should also be credited for showcasing teenage romance beautifully and realistically.
Acting
The strongest link of this film is its actors who have done a wonderful job. Kani Kusruti, who mostly stays in the backseat provides a base for Preeti to fly. This year the actor has come up with two films, All We Imagine As Light and Girls Will Be Girls. Both these films will be remembered for various reasons and one of them would be Kani's eye acting. Her character is written wonderfully, seeing her, you will remember your mother in your teens. Preeti Panigrahi, the main actor of Girls Will Be Girls in more ways than one, is one that will stay with you. The way Preeti has played the role of a teenage girl, it does not feel like it's her debut. She comes across as a veteran of this art and makes you feel for her pain and anguish. If actors like her come into films with this sort of preparation, then it would be easy for filmmakers to make good films as well (hopefully). Keshav Binoy Kiran's work is also great as Shri. He can definitely be called the poster boy of such boys who make everyone their fan with words and are often found in our school and college. The actor has played this character with great intensity, so much so, that by the end you feel bad for him as well despite all said and done.
Direction and Writing
The hero of this film is its writer and director Shuchi Talati. Both her writing and direction too good and applaudworthy. Teenage romance cannot be shown in a better way than this. She had a strong grip on the film and was completely successful in saying what she wanted to say. There are a few scenes where the filmmaker says a lot in just a few seconds. Like, women being the perpetrators of patriarchy, a child running to her mother for rescue despite stranded relations and Romeos defaming a girl after facing rejections. All these scenes have been well planned in the film and add to this experience that we call Girls Will Be Girls.
Verdict
This film is amazing and if you were born in the 90s then Richa and Ali's film will take you to your schooling era. The times when mobiles were out of the question and romance was based on one-ring landlines. This film is very simple and that is its strength, it does not need any kind of forced tadka to make it more interesting. The film moves at its own pace which is absolutely right. It just flows like water and soothes the viewers. Its characters are convincing. From teenage romance to mother-daughter angle, the film serves everything and with great conviction. Overall, Girls Will Be Girls should be counted in the top 5 best films of the year and it should not go unnoticed at any cost.