Credit: Special arrangement
The coming-of-age trope has been overused in Indian cinema for decades — especially by Bollywood. From Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Lakshya’ to Arjun Varain Singh’s ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’, there have been plenty of hits and misses along the way, with many often not doing the genre justice.
However, in the sea of coming of age movies, Shuchi Talati’s ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ stands out. It is insightful and delightfully crafted — truly a breath of fresh air. The story revolves around a high-achieving school girl beginning to explore her needs and desires. Eighteen-year-old Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) is falling in love with Sri (Keshav Binoy Kiron), a new boy at her school. But two things stand in her way — her overbearing mother Anila (Kani Kustruti) and her strict boarding school, located in a nondescript town in the Himalayas.
Although Anila lives in Haridwar, she annually turns up to the quaint town in the Himalayas to tide Mira through her exams. The absence of her husband remains a mystery. At the start, Anila comes across as a supportive and understanding parent. She does not berate Mira for sneakily calling Sri from the landline, but instead tricks the boys hostel warden and invites Sri over. But soon enough, you begin to notice a tug of war between the mother and daughter, with Sri trying to find a sweet spot between the two.
While Mira is madly attracted to Sri, the young and lonely Anila whose neediness often tends to overpower her mommy duties, especially when it comes to the charming Sri, tends to throw plenty of obstacles. From pushing her daughter aside to dance with the boy, to sharing a bed with him, Anila truly puts the mother-daughter relationship to the test.
All three protagonists do a splendid job with their characters — especially Kani. Kani’s portrayal as an overprotective yet unusually needy mother will make you cringe multiple times throughout the movie. Mira’s unravelling too makes for an interesting watch. The film is poignant, and a reminder of girlhood lived and lost.