Shuchi Talati’s first feature film explores female desire, familial bonds, and sexual awakening but defies any easy categorisation.
Author
Samiparna Samanta, Professor, Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Summary
Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls explores female desire and familial bonds at a Himalayan boarding school. Head prefect Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) navigates sexual awakening with new boy Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron), unsettling her vibrant mother Anila (Kani Kusruti). Anila’s affectionate indulgence of Sri sparks Mira’s resentment, subverting traditional motherhood. The film defies categorization, blending Mira’s youthful passions with Anila’s longing for connection. Through affective realism, it redefines womanhood beyond binaries, culminating in tender mother-daughter reconciliation. A poignant portrayal of autonomy, contradictions, and emotional messiness in female sensibilities.
Published in: Economic and Political Weekly
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