Ever since Girls Will Be Girls released on Prime Video, writer-director Shuchi Talati has been inundated with messages from the audience—some of them telling her that it took them back to their teenage years; others mentioning that they are finally seeing their mothers in a new light. For a film that has already garnered awards and accolades at international film festivals, including the World Cinema Dramatic (Audience) at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, is it even a surprise that it is winning hearts as well?Talati’s directorial feature is a thoughtful coming-of-age drama about Mira, who is a teenager, her sexual awakening, rebellion, and sometimes strained relationship with her mother. “It comes from having felt all the feelings that these characters are feeling. We are all familiar with the school environment and the type of policing that takes place once you become a teenager. Also, just being ashamed of being in your first relationship or the complicated feelings when you are a prefect and have to snitch on your friends because you want the teacher’s validation but you also want your friend to like you,” she elaborates. Since Talati is closer in age to Anila (the mother in the film, portrayed wonderfully by Kani Kusruti), the filmmaker also relates to the choices she makes. “I usually write from a place I feel deeply about and then I find the plot for it,” she smiles.Talati believes, to have a female gaze helps, as most stories about sexual awakening end up sexualising the protagonist. “I wanted it to look real and raw and yet not exploitative. The other important thing was to focus on the emotions. For me, the most vulnerable moments in intimate scenes are not when someone touches or kisses but in the insecurities they have about their body.
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