'Girls Will Be Girls' - Indian Teenager Comes of Age in Shuchi Talati's Sundance-Winning Film

Girls Will Be Girls (Courtesy of Juno Films)

Shuchi Talati's Girls Will Be Girls official trailer and release date — Girls Will Be Girls (Courtesy of Juno Films)

‘Girls Will Be Girls‘ the directorial debut film of Indian director Shuchi Talati, explores the life of an Indian teenager struggling with the clash between her cultural background and her own emerging sexual needs.

The coming-of-age independent film had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival where it won two awards, the World Cinema Drama Audience Award and a Special Jury Award for Acting for lead actress Preeti Panigrahi.

Starring in the film are Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron, Kajol Chugh, Nadini Verma, Devika Shahani, Akash Pramanik, and Aman Desai.

Release Date

Directed by Shuchi Talati, ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ opens in theaters on September 13, 2024.

Synopsis

In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, Mira is a successful student shouldering high expectations from her parents and her teachers. But as she wrestles with new desires and ample curiosity inspired by the handsome Sri, she finds herself at odds with the school’s strict rules and her mother’s incessant involvement in her new romance. As Mira strives to escape the watchful eyes of her teachers, mother and fellow students and find time alone with Sri, Mira approaches learning about love with the same dedication that she applies to her studies, resulting in sometimes comic and shocking conclusions. While the film is a beautiful coming-of-age story, the romance between the lead protagonists is a sensitive exploration of female desire that observes how conservative cultures entrap women under strict expectations and norms.

Reviews

Marya E. Gates in a RogerEbert.com review praised the film, writing, “[This] tale of sexual coming-of-age is rooted in the kind of cultural and character specificity that elevates a film past mere premise into something more complex and moving.”

Proma Khosla in an IndieWire review gave the film an A- score, writing, “With her first feature, Talati expertly captures the quiet wonder and aching intensity of adolescence, first love, and caring about someone whose dueling duties and desires sometimes stop them from behaving as they know they should.”