Girls Will Be Girls

The coming of age process is different for everyone, and that’s especially true for those of different generations. Those who underwent this rite of passage years ago, however, arguably may have faced more challenges and restrictions than what’s present in these more liberated and open-minded times, and such individuals may be somewhat envious of the privileges that have been afforded their younger counterparts. That’s very much the case with Anila (Kani Kusruti) and her teenage daughter, Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), who has (or at least should have) a comparatively easier time with this than her mother did. Nevertheless, Anila still expects Mira to conform to the rigid standards of her own youth, enrolling her in a strict Himalayan boarding school and hovering around her like an overprotective helicopter parent, particularly when she befriends a young man, Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron), who becomes a budding – if severely restricted – romantic interest. Despite these constraints, though, Mira is supremely curious to clandestinely explore her emerging sexuality and female drives while at least superficially maintaining the image of propriety expected of a young Indian girl. Matters become further complicated, however, when Anila takes more than a passing supervisory interest in her daughter’s new beau, a dynamic that produces added friction between mother and daughter. As if adolescence weren’t complicated enough in itself, these circumstances raise the tension level inside the family household, in the relationship between the two youngsters and in the mind of someone who’s trying to figure out her life under conditions fraught with confusion, contradiction, constraint and more than a few double standards. Writer-director Shuchi Talati’s debut feature takes a nuanced, mature look at what can often be a baffling time of life, one that’s made even more complex by the potent influences impacting it. The film tends to fizzle somewhat as it approaches its conclusion, almost as if the director doesn’t quite know how to wrap up the story. But that doesn’t hinder the production overall when it comes to covering some previously unexplored fertile ground when it comes to a subject that’s often handled tritely and riddled with clichés. This recipient of two Independent Spirit Awards – for Kusruti’s supporting performance and as a candidate for the competition’s John Cassavetes Award – definitely makes a mark among 2024’s releases, even if, as the premiere offering from a new filmmaker, it could use some shoring up at times. That aside, though, “Girls Will Be Girls” is an impressive start for a promising new auteur, one well worth streaming online. Indeed, through this work, audiences may never view the coming of age process in quite the same way ever again.

Set amidst the beautiful scenery of the Himalayan mountains, the teenage “Mira” (Preeti Panigrahi) is having to reconcile her quite traditional relationship with her mum (Kani Kasruti) with her own desires as a soon-to-be independent woman who is also the apple of the eye of the young “Sri” (Kesav Binoy Kiron). He spends quite a lot of time at their home and although her mother is friendly and civil, you get the distinct feeling that she has reservations borne out of her own experience of youth where she was never really given the opportunities that now await her daughter. That’s really the gist of a simple coming-of-age plot that quite delicately interweaves the cultural with the hormonal without veering off into sentimentality or stereotyping. Panigrahi is very natural with her performance, and the dynamic between Kasruti and Kiron is, in itself, quite a curious one that does make you wonder if something altogether different might occur in the lives of this triumvirate. There’s also an effective paucity of dialogue here, too. Much of the story is conveyed simply by watching their behaviour and appreciating just how all three of them come to terms with change - either real or anticipated, as this brief period of observation allows us to share some of their more intimate and decisive moments. The focus on burgeoning womanhood is delivered with some power but also some nuance, and not at the expense of the youthful aspiration of a boy who is smitten and in love, too - and by the end you feel you have shared a journey with them that is life-changing but not life-shattering.