Nuance & moving portrait of girlhood

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- Troy Ribeiro

This coming-of-age film by writer-director Shuchi Talati is a thoughtful, tightly crafted exploration of girlhood, where the personal and the political (societal norms and power dynamics) simmer under a cloak of delicate intimacy. Set in the cloistered environment of a boarding school, the film juxtaposes Mira's (Preeti Panigrahi) rigorous adherence to institutional excellence with the messy, unregulated chaos of growing up. A badge-wearing prefect by day, Mira soon finds her tightly woven life unraveling as she navigates the pangs of first love and a volatile home front.