Skip to content
Wherever I Look Logo

Wherever I Look

  • HomeExpand
    • About Wherever I LookExpand
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Wherever I Look Logo
Wherever I Look

Home - Movies - Girls Will Be Girls (2024) – Review and Summary

Girls Will Be Girls (2024) – Review and Summary

Shuchi Talati’s “Girls Will Be Girls” is a gorgeous labyrinth of womanhood and mother-daughter relationships that should not be missed.

ByAustin Estrada Hours Posted onJanuary 27, 2024 4:02 PM

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.


Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.


  • "Girls Will Be Girls" Plot Summary
    • Content Information
  • "Girls Will Be Girls" General Information
    • Character Descriptions
      • Mira (Preeti Panigrahi)
      • Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron)
      • Anila (Kani Kusruti)
  • "Girls Will Be Girls" Review
    • Notable Performances or Moments
      • Preeti Panigrahi as Mira in a Whirlpool of Bubbling Feelings
    • Highlights
      • A Camera That Captures the Beauty of Awkward Discovery
      • An Authentic and Empathetic Exploration of a Mom and Daughter
    • Good If You Like
    • Recommendations

“Girls Will Be Girls” Plot Summary

Shuchi Talati’s “Girls Will Be Girls” is a gorgeous labyrinth of womanhood and mother-daughter relationships that should not be missed. Writer and director Talati demonstrates that a dramatic and deeply soulful coming-of-age story does not need to follow the standard teen tropes to make an audience feel something. Talati’s cast and crew create their own path with “Girls Will Be Girls,” a riveting and original story that should be essential viewing for teens. 

Set in the Himalayas, “Girls Will Be Girls” shows the life of Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), a smart and obedient student who’s given a lot of responsibility in her strict boarding school. She’s told by teachers that she needs to succeed; she’s told by her family that academics are what’s most important; and she often has to be the role model for other students. But when new student Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron) shows a romantic interest in Mira, her priorities and upbringing all begin to clash with her sexual awakening.

Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) and Anila (Kani Kusruti) in “Girls Will Be Girls” (2024)

Mira is compelled to keep her romance a secret, but her mother, Anila (Kani Kusruti), immediately suspects that her daughter is talking to someone. While Anila is initially accepting of her daughter’s first relationship, she begins to show a new flirtatious and chatty side to herself when meeting Sri. As Sri’s presence in Mira’s life grows, the relationship between Mira and Anila becomes tense, and her academics are threatened. Mira may be exploring her own agency, but it’s coming at the cost of the people and institutions she once trusted most. 

“Girl Will Be Girls” is sensual, curious, and deeply empathetic in every frame. Talati films key moments in Mira’s life with a dreamy aesthetic without taking away the grounded atmosphere. The soulful acting is charged with unsaid feelings in a way rarely seen in coming-of-age films. By the end, you’ll feel thankful and want to huddle and lean on Mira and Anila’s shoulders too, because you took this journey together. 

Content Information

“Girls Will Be Girls” is currently not rated, but includes mild profanity and some implied sexual scenes 

“Girls Will Be Girls” General Information

Director Shuchi Talati
Screenplay By Shuchi Talati
Date Released January 25, 2024
How To Watch Film Festival – Sundance Film Festival
Genre(s) Drama

Romance

Film Length 1 Hour, 58 Minutes
Content Rating Not Rated
Noted Characters and Cast
Mira Preeti Panigrahi
Sri Kesav Binoy Kiron
Anila Kani Kusruti

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Mira (Preeti Panigrahi)

Mira is a student who excels in all facets of her life. But upon mounting pressure from her family and the school staff, Mira is often forced to put her own wants and desires aside for others. When she begins wanting to spend time with Sri, she starts to see her school and mother in a different light. 

Sri (Kesav Binoy Kiron)

Sri is the new kid at school. He’s an outsider to his classmates and struggles in academics, but he’s mature for his age and develops a romantic interest in Mira. While Mira likes Sri, she can sometimes be troubled with his sexual maturity and his charm with women. 

Anila (Kani Kusruti)

Anila is Mira’s mom and is more involved in Mira’s life. Anila is accepting of Mira’s budding romance, but due to Anila’s own loss of teen experiences, she can get uncomfortably close to her daughter’s boyfriend.

 

“Girls Will Be Girls” Review

Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Notable Performances or Moments

Preeti Panigrahi as Mira in a Whirlpool of Bubbling Feelings

Most of “Girls Will Be Girls” depends on close-ups of Mira and her silent epiphanies. Her feelings and realizations aren’t loud, so a lot has to be expressed within a tightened jaw or an eyelid flicker. Preeti Panigrahi conveys Mira’s longing, disappointment, suffocation, confusion, jealousy, admiration, and much more with a quiet look on her face. Panigrahi’s acting is subtle yet always nuanced and engaging.

Highlights

A Camera That Captures the Beauty of Awkward Discovery

Teen horniness is usually depicted as something awkward, funny, and shameful. While it can be all those things, “Girls Will Be Girls” also captures the beauty in these awkward moments. The scenes could be out of focus, filmed from afar, honoring the hazy memory of one’s youth or respecting the privacy of its characters. They don’t rely on music, a series of montages, or quick cuts. Talati allows the viewers to sit with these characters and understand that these moments are a natural part of growing up. 

An Authentic and Empathetic Exploration of a Mom and Daughter

Like many family relationships, Mila and Anila’s relationship can be equally sweet and troubling. While we view the world through Mila’s eyes, Talati and actor Kani Kusruti do not let us forget Anila’s own story and agency. Both women are fighting against societal expectations, and while they may clash because of it, “Girls Will Be Girls” never makes women the enemy and respects each character’s intelligence and actions. 

Good If You Like

  • Complicated daughter-mother stories, coming-of-age stories, and Indian representation. 

Recommendations

If you like this movie, we recommend:

  1. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
  2. The Diary of a Teenage Girl
  3. Didi

Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.

Girls Will Be Girls (2024) – Review and Summary
Overall
“Girl Will Be Girls” is sensual, curious, and deeply empathetic in every frame. By the end, you’ll feel thankful and want to huddle and lean on Mira and Anila’s shoulders too, because you took this journey together. 
Highlights
Preeti Panigrahi as Mira in a Whirlpool of Bubbling Feelings
A Camera That Captures the Beauty of Awkward Discovery
An Authentic and Empathetic Exploration of a Mom and Daughter
Disputable
83

Follow/Subscribe To Our External Pages

  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Amazon
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X

Sending
User Review
5 (1 vote)

Listed Under Categories: Movies, Positive (Worth Seeing)

Related Tags: Girls Will Be Girls, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron, Preeti Panigrahi, Shuchi Talati, Sundance Film Festival 2024

Austin Estrada

I'm a filmmaker and writer that can cook a mean plate of pasta and always meet a deadline. When I write, I most likely have a cat on my lap.
If I’m not watching movies, I’m writing about movies. If I’m not writing about movies, I’m making them.
If you want to see more of my work or have something you think I should see, just reach out!

Instagram

Post navigation

Previous Previous
Trunk – Locked In: Movie Review and Summary
NextContinue
Love Me – Movie Review and Summary

Site Pages

  • Home
  • About Wherever I Look
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie & Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer & Disclosure Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • HTML Sitemap
  • Our Writers
The Wherever I Look logo featuring a film reel, a video game controller, old school TV set, a stage, and more done by artist Dean Nelson.

The overall goal of Wherever I Look is to fill in that space between the average fan and critic and advise you on what’s worth experiencing.

Category Pages

  • Articles
  • Character Guide
  • Collected Quotes
  • Live Peformances
  • Movies
  • Our Latest Reviews
  • TV Series
  • Video Page
Scroll to top

Wherever I Look logo

Welcome to Wherever I Look, your go-to destination for insightful and personable reviews of the latest TV episodes, movies, and live performances. Also, dive into our character guides and discover what’s truly worth your time.

  • Home
    • About Wherever I Look
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Search