Girls Will Be Girls is the poignant coming-of-age story of Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), set against the backdrop of strict environments. Written and directed by Shuchi Talati, this movie is also her first feature directorial debut. Girls Will Be Girls premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the audience award and critical acclaim. It is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Mira is a high-schooler in a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas. She has just been appointed as the Head Prefect, the first girl to be made one in the school’s history. Her mother, Anila (Kani Kusruti), has come to stay with her during exam season, to offer her support and companionship. Though they get along reasonably well, their relationship seems quite strained. Mira even says that “she can’t stand her mom.” Amidst this, Mira meets Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron), a charming young man whom she immediately likes. Their connection quickly deepens into a romantic relationship, which results in Sri frequenting the Mira household, effortlessly winning over Anila’s approval. At its core, however, the story delves into Mira’s journey of sexual awakening, unfolding within the confines of restrictive spaces. The narrative also explores how her relationship with Sri evolves in the context of these stifling spaces, revealing the complexities of desire, autonomy, and identity.
What translates effectively through the screen to the viewer is the claustrophobia Mira feels, stemming from the absence of a safe space to openly navigate her sexuality and newfound feelings of attraction and love for Sri. At home, she is constrained by the fear of her strict mother, while at school, she dreads judgement from her peers and authority. In one instance, her teacher even instructs her to reprimand a friend for being “seen hanging out too much” with a boy, and this gives more reasons for Mira to remain secretive about her relationship. This claustrophobia highlights the critical need to create safe, non-judgmental spaces for youngsters, especially girls, as they navigate the complexities of coming-of-age. Without such spaces, the stifling pressures they endure could have lasting impacts on their development, as hinted at in the characterization of Anila—but more on that later.
This opens up an important discussion on the impact of physical and social spaces—or the lack thereof—on behavioral patterns, especially in youngsters. In the movie, Mira navigates and negotiates, majorly, in two spaces: her home, where her every move is monitored by her mother, and her school, where, in addition to bearing the weight of being the ideal student, she also battles the constant fear of retaliation from vengeful peers seeking to humiliate her for her relationship with Sri—or do worse. In one scene, her teacher discusses Mira as the standard of decorum expected of all girls at the school, because her skirt falls below her knees—a length deemed appropriate for all girls. Both spaces are similar: at home, she lacks autonomy, while at school, she is paralyzed by fear. Both spaces exert control over her, one actively and the other passively. Both spaces restrict her freedom, and impose expectations shaped by her gender. This lack of autonomy significantly shapes Mira’s behavior. At home, she becomes rebellious, challenging her mother on issues like where Sri should sleep during a sleepover and occasionally making passive-aggressive remarks to her mom, further straining the relationship. At school, her confidence erodes, and her academic performance suffers. These dynamics in the movie do a remarkable job of highlighting how spaces control and destabilize women, shaping their behaviour in profound ways, especially during adolescence.
This brings us to Mira’s mother, Anila, portrayed brilliantly by Kani Kusruti, who embodies the quiet, aching need for attention that many women endure—expressed with remarkable subtlety. At first glance, Anila appears to be the quintessential “cool mom,” distributing sweets when Mira is appointed as Head Prefect and engaging warmly with her daughter’s friends. However, it soon becomes evident that the relationship between mother and daughter is quite troubled. As the story unfolds, we learn that Anila, too, was raised in a rigid environment much like Mira’s. She recounts stories of her own struggles as a student at the same boarding school, where meeting boys was nearly impossible. Her overly restrictive behavior toward Mira is revealed as a projection of her own unresolved, repressed feelings from her adolescence. As Sri acutely observes, Anila craves attention and validation, hinting at deeper emotional scars. This is a critical reflection on how stifling environments during adolescent years can profoundly shape a woman’s psycho-social character in later parts of their lives. In a cathartic moment, Mira comes to understand her mother’s struggles and takes the first step to break this cycle of trauma. This heartwarming scene, where Mira reconciles with Anila is a powerful symbol of healing and breaking generational patterns.
Perhaps, one of the most prevalent themes in the movie is the exploration of how traditional gender roles are reinforced. At school, Mira’s teacher goes to great lengths to enforce discipline among the girls, focusing obsessively on “ideal” skirt lengths and “acceptable” behaviour for girls. When Mira raises concerns about boys behaving inappropriately toward some of the girls, her teacher brushes it aside, placing the responsibility on the girls to avoid trouble. At home, Mira’s parents occasionally comment on her clothing, such as the shortness of her skirt. Though this theme is not explicitly foregrounded in the movie, Mira’s character develops against the backdrop of spaces that consistently reinforce oppressive gender norms, adding more depth to the narrative. This subtle but persistent commentary offers a critique of how such expectations shape young women’s lives.
Spaces are not neutral, they have never been—they are the manifestation of the intersection of gender, sexuality and patriarchal power dynamics. These forces are acutely experienced by individuals in their coming-of-age journey. As they negotiate their way towards adulthood, all spaces play an important role in this journey—schools, homes, bedrooms, streets and even digital spaces. Gendered expectations and heteronormative structures dictate the roles people play in these spaces, thereby deciding who feels safe, excluded and empowered. These expectations impose stifling constraints on self-expression and belonging. Yet, these are the same spaces where individuals resist these impositions, reclaim their agency and redefine their relationships with power and identity. The negotiation and struggles for agency in these spaces not only pave the way for broader struggles for equality but also encapsulate the deeply personal, yet political, process of growing into oneself and self-acceptance, the core tenets of resilience and liberation.
Girls Will Be Girls is undoubtedly one of the most significant films of recent times. In a year where cinema across industries has explored unusual themes and delivered exceptional works of art, Shuchi Thalati’s Girls Will Be Girls stands out as a nuanced exploration of womanhood and self-discovery.
Adithya Kamesh is a political consultant specializing in research and communications, currently on a ‘strategic sabbatical’ to pursue his passion for writing. Beyond engaging in political debates, he is drawn to reading and film, especially works that challenge the status quo. He has a particular affinity for non-fiction and his areas of interest are feminism, geopolitics, and history.