Watching the film Girls Will Be Girls (2024) unfold was a surreal experience. Growing up in India in the 1990s, the idea of teenage female sexuality being openly explored on screen was unimaginable. Women바카라s desires were whispered about, never spoken aloud, let alone given a visceral presence in public discourse. Films about teenage girls coming of age simply did not exist in Indian cinema. Female sexuality was either shrouded in shame or tied to notions of honour, reinforcing silence rather than openness.
It바카라s hard to forget the controversy surrounding Deepa Mehta바카라s Fire (1996), film exploring adult women바카라s sexuality rather than a teenage one. Protests erupted in Mumbai and Delhi, with posters burned and theatres attacked by Shiv Sena-affiliated women protestors. In response, civil rights groups and women바카라s organisations rallied in support of the film, triggering a nationwide debate. I finally watched Fire years later, not out of teenage curiosity but as a film studies student. Often, that was the only way such narratives could be engaged with seriously, finding legitimacy within academia rather than in everyday conversations.
Against this backdrop, Girls Will Be Girls feels long overdue. In a world where streaming platforms have made space for bolder narratives, this film stands out바카라not just as a striking debut but as the culmination of a quiet rebellion that simmered through the 90s, only to find its voice decades later. Directed by Shuchi Talati, who also grew up in that era, the film delivers what we never had back then바카라a candid, nuanced exploration of a teenage girl바카라s sexuality and self-discovery.
Set in a conservative boarding school in the Himalayan foothills, Girls Will Be Girls follows Meera (Preeti Panagrahi), a model student and the first girl in the school바카라s history to be appointed head prefect. At this institution, discipline is paramount, especially for girls. Skirts must be knee-length, socks neatly rolled, and nail polish is strictly banned. Meera thrives within these rigid boundaries, embodying the ideals of propriety and academic excellence. But her carefully structured world begins to crack with the arrival of Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiran), a confident new boy whose presence unsettles her in ways she doesn't fully understand.
Sri, shaped by the privilege and freedom of an international school, is everything Meera바카라s world is not. His self-assurance and casual disregard for the school's strict rules pull Meera into unfamiliar territory, sparking a turbulent mix of desire, jealousy, and self-discovery. Yet, at the heart of the film is not just Meera바카라s coming-of-age journey but also the complex presence of her mother, Anila, whose choices and unspoken desires cast a long shadow over her daughter바카라s awakening.
Kani Kusruti as Anila delivers a standout performance that is bound to raise eyebrows. As an almost-single mother, she is deeply involved in her daughter's life, even moving near Meera바카라s school during exam season. Subtle cinematic choices of long pauses, silences, and lingering glances hint at Anila바카라s own suppressed longings. Her everyday interactions and decisions unsettle the audience as much as they do her daughter.
One of the film바카라s most uneasy scenes captures this complexity. Anila, ostensibly to prevent Meera from sneaking around with Sri, invites him to sleep in her bedroom instead of the hall. Her actions바카라a mix of maternal protectiveness and a woman바카라s longing바카라blur the lines between propriety and rebellion. The discomfort this moment creates forces the audience to confront an unsettling question: What feels more transgressive- Meera바카라s exploration of her sexuality or her mother바카라s quiet assertion in an unconventional way?
At its core, Girls Will Be Girls is a film about rebellion바카라not loud, dramatic defiance, but the quiet, insidious rebellion of women and girls breaking free from societal norms. While Meera바카라s journey is modern, one of self-discovery, through Anila바카라s dilemma we find the narrative tied to the broader cultural context of India, where women바카라s desires are often framed as problematic, not just by men but by women themselves. For instance, the chemistry teacher instinctively dismisses Meera when she complains about the boys in her class using a camera inappropriately, reinforcing the same cycle of silence and shame while upholding the notion that 바카라boys will be boys.바카라
Breaking the Mold and Questions That Linger
What makes the film exceptional is not just its thematic choice but Talati바카라s restrained direction. She navigates complex emotions with tenderness, avoiding judgment or moralizing. Close-ups and silences force the audience to lean in, making fleeting glances and unspoken moments feel loaded with meaning. The story doesn바카라t just unfold; it simmers, knotting the stomach with subtle tension.
For women who grew up in the 90s, Girls Will Be Girls evokes a bittersweet nostalgia. It recalls an era when exploring one바카라s sexuality as a girl was out of reach바카라a world without smartphones or social media, where the closest thing to liberation was searching for forbidden topics at a cybercafé.
The film boldly challenges long-held beliefs about female honour and shame. In the Indian context, a 바카라good girl바카라 is expected to be chaste, obedient, and virtuous. Meera is not just a model student바카라she is also a young girl grappling with rage, jealousy, and the confusing thrill of sexual awakening. Her body is portrayed with as much authenticity as her emotions. Acne, body hair, and awkwardness are normalised. There is an honest depiction of teenage girls that feels revolutionary in a world obsessed with filters and perfection.
The title itself is a cheeky nod to a culture that has always boxed women in, daring to ask: What would happen if girls were allowed the same freedom as boys? This is also a film that forces us to examine our own discomfort. Why do certain scenes make us uneasy? Is it Meera바카라s boldness or Anila바카라s transgressive choices as a mother?
For older generations, Girls Will Be Girls offers a window into a world they never imagined. For younger audiences, it바카라s a glimpse of what could have been and what still needs to change. The film holds up a mirror to Indian society, exposing the repression and silencing of women바카라s desires across decades. Yet, it does so with quiet defiance, never losing its tenderness.
In this sense, this is a long-overdue expression that was stifled in the 90s and has finally found its voice two decades later. For women who grew up in that era, Girls Will Be Girls is the film we didn바카라t know we needed.
