Varsha Bharath’s Bad Girl teaser sparks polarising reactions from filmmakers and audience alike
The Bad Girl teaser ruffled quite a few feathers because the protagonist is reportedly from a Brahmin household, and the character's arc is seen, by a section of the audience, as an insult to the community.
The teaser of Bad Girl is out.
Debut director Varsha Bharath’s Bad Girl is backed by Vetrimaaran, and presented by Anurag Kashyap. With two of India’s most important filmmakers involved in Bad Girl, expectations soared. The teaser of the film, starring Anjali Sivaraman, Shanthi Priya, and Hridhu Haroon, was released recently, and anticipation reached new heights
In the teaser, we see a teenage girl wanting to experience her first love. We see the trajectory of her life that involves her board exams, strict parents, blossoming of romance, first kiss, first rebellion, life after school, a life away from the ‘watchful’ eyes of society, understanding liberation, and coming to terms with her needs, desires, and ambitions. Bad Girl is set to have its global premiere at the 54th International Film Festival, Rotterdam.
Sharing the teaser, Pa Ranjith wrote, “Happened to watch Bad Girl, and it’s truly a bold and refreshing film! Director Vetrimaaran deserves immense credit for backing such a daring story. The film powerfully portrays women’s struggles and social expectations through a unique new wave cinema style. Congratulations, Varsha.”
Festive offer
Director Mohan G Kshatriyan, known for his films like Droupadi and Rudra Thaandavam, took particular offence against the film, and quoted Ranjith’s opinion to add his own two cents. He wrote, “Portraying a brahmin girl’s personal life is always a bold and refreshing film for this clan. What more can be expected from Vetrimaran, Anurag Kashyap & Co.. Bashing Brahmin father and mother is old and not trendy. Try with your own caste girls and showcase it to your own family first (sic).”
The teaser has resulted in many such polarising opinions about the film, and its intentions, although the director tried to anticipate such reactions and said, “Bad Girl is not a feminist bible by any stretch of imagination. It is not the only way for a person to live their lives, but an attempt to say that women don’t need to deified or put on a pedestal. Let the girl live her life the way she wants to, and accommodate her wishes and desires.”
Nevertheless, the teaser of Bad Girl does the exact thing that a promo video should do… pique people’s interest, create conversations that convert into hype, and most probably get people on the seats when the film hits theatres. On that front, Bad Girl ticks all the right boxes.