Girls Will be Girls (AmazonPrimeVideo) Story :-
Set in a strict boarding school nestled in the tranquil Himalayas, the film follows Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), a teenager exploring the complexities of desire and love. Her path to self-discovery is complicated by her mother, Anila (Kani Kasruti), whose own adolescence was repressed and never fully realized. The growing tension between Mira’s emerging sexuality and Anila’s unresolved past fuels a deep conflict that impacts both their lives. While Mira grapples with the challenges of love and rebellion, Anila struggles with the unfulfilled dreams of her youth.
Girls Will be Girls (AmazonPrimeVideo) Release Date, Trailor, Songs, Cast :-
| Release Date | 18 December 2024 |
| Language | Hindi, English |
| Genre | Drama, Romance |
| Duration | 1h 58min |
| Cast | Preeti Panigrahi, Kesav Binoy Kiron, Kani Kusruti, Kajol Chugh, Nandini Verma, Devika Shahani, Akash Pramanik, Aman Desai, Sumit Sharma, Jitin Gulati |
| Director | Shuchi Talati |
| Writer | Shuchi Talati |
| Cinematography | Jih-E Peng |
| Music | Pierre Oberkampf, Sneha Khanwalkar |
| Producer | Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne, Shuchi Talati |
| Production | Pushing Buttons Studios, Blink Digital, Cinema Inutile |
| Certificate | 16+ |
Girls Will be Girls (AmazonPrimeVideo) Review :-
Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls is an impressive debut that delves deep into the psyche of its ambitious, high-achieving protagonist. At 16, Mira strives to excel at everything—including sex—with determined focus. Set in a 1990s Indian prep school in the Himalayas, the film masterfully captures charged silences and subtle connections while exploring gender-based tensions within a world of academic privilege. Talati’s confident direction and nuanced handling of her young cast creates a coming-of-age story that feels both raw and universally relatable.
The romance between Mira and Sri, her 17-year-old classmate, unfolds with authentic messiness and sweetness. Their relationship blooms in secret moments—huddled together under blankets in the cold—but soon catches unwanted attention. The school’s watchful, patriarchal administration excels at uncovering rule-breaking, especially when it challenges their established order. As the school’s first female prefect, Mira’s position brings her both authority and hostility, particularly from boys who spend their time lurking under stairways taking inappropriate photos.
When Mira’s mother, Anila, uncovers the relationship, the story takes a surprising and unsettling turn. Shaped by the same culture that seeks to control her daughter, Anila becomes an unpredictable force, her actions blurring the lines between discipline, jealousy, and a longing to reclaim her own lost youth. This tense, psychological dynamic challenges both the coming-of-age genre and the “cool mom” trope, creating moments of intense conflict that occasionally threaten to overshadow the film’s otherwise grounded tone.
Talati excels in capturing the physical and often uncomfortable realities of adolescence. Scenes like Mira practicing kissing on her wrist or awkwardly trying to appear seductive while lip-syncing in the mirror are portrayed with honesty and sensitivity. These moments resonate because they are treated as authentic, relatable aspects of growing up. Talati’s trust in her lead actors is evident, especially in extended close-ups that convey entire emotional arcs without the need for dialogue.
Preeti Panigrahi delivers an outstanding performance as Mira, expertly capturing the defiance, vulnerability, and contradictions of a teenager grappling with injustice, desire, and societal pressure. Her piercing glares and longing glances speak volumes, and her portrayal of jealousy and betrayal feels immediate and genuine. Keshav Kiron, as Sri, brings a relaxed, self-assured charm that contrasts with Mira’s more turbulent journey, highlighting the gendered differences in how they each navigate the world.
The most demanding role, however, belongs to Kani Kusruti as Anila. Repressed and contradictory, Anila embodies the long-lasting effects of a culture that suppresses women’s desires and agency. Her relationship with Mira is complex, at times veering into unsettling territory as her actions propel the narrative toward a tone that almost resembles an erotic thriller. While this bold exploration of the competition and resentment between mother and daughter is daring, it occasionally feels overdone, overshadowing the more grounded elements of Mira and Sri’s story. Some later scenes, laden with scandalous undertones, feel exaggerated and forced, which diminishes the film’s otherwise sharp and empathetic insights.
Girls Will be Girls (AmazonPrimeVideo) Trailor :-
Talati’s directorial prowess is undeniable. She skillfully builds tension, from small, unsettling moments—like a sales associate creeping on Mira—to more intense confrontations at school. Her use of framing, mirrors, and precisely choreographed spaces heightens the emotional stakes throughout the film. Occasionally, the script leans too heavily on dialogue to reinforce ideas already conveyed visually, and some conversations veer into overly sentimental, young-adult territory. However, these are minor flaws in an otherwise confident and stylish debut.
At its core, Girls Will Be Girls offers a powerful critique of patriarchy and its generational effects. The same forces that excuse the boys’ behavior at Mira’s school also drive female sexuality into the shadows, distorting natural desires into acts of rebellion. Talati explores how these societal pressures warp relationships and identities, stretching expectations until they inevitably break.
Final Thought
Despite taking some narrative risks that don’t always land, Girls Will Be Girls remains a bold, empathetic, and visually stunning drama. Shuchi Talati’s assured storytelling and sharp directorial vision establish her as a filmmaker to watch. This debut offers a powerful, though occasionally uneven, exploration of adolescence, family, and desire.
