Stand up and deliver, almost

In times when dissent has a negative connotation and JNU is projected as the template for institutionalised felony, ‘Ziddi Girls’, with themes like freedom of expression and the power of collective resistance at its core, comes across as bold and refreshing.

All it takes is a screening of ‘an erotica from a female gaze by a French filmmaker’ for Matilda House, a fictional women’s college in Delhi, to earn the ire of the right wing.

Heads roll. The liberal principal, Malavika Datta (Revathi), is sacked and replaced with a disciplinarian and conservative Lata (Simran), who poses a threat to the haven for free expression as “she is dangerous because, if you don’t listen to her properly, you will think she is right”.

And in this milieu, we meet the five freshers — Trisha (Atiya Tara Nayak) is a rich hockey player, Vandana (Umang Bhadana) a theatre enthusiast, Tabby (Zaina Ali) a small-town fashion influencer, Devika (Anupriya Caroli) is a ‘misfit’ in the liberal set-up, and then there is the wheelchair-bound Wallika (Deeya Damini), who writes poetry.

As they forge friendships, navigate love and academic pressure, they find themselves caught in a battle against the oppressive authority, and this is where the seed of resistance germinates.

The tone of ‘Ziddi Girls’ is busy and the presentation is glossy, with the camera sometimes panning over Matilda House’s elite facade, and then going behind the walls to take note of the brewing rebellion, capturing the characters’ young and energetic vibes in the process. Shahnawaz Alam’s cinematography and Nayantara Bhatkal and Aditya N’s music are a major highlight of ‘Ziddi Girls’.

But the freshness of the initial episodes gives way to a predictable plotline that has a fearless, never-say-die student leader, an informer, a reluctant rebel, and the oppressive authoritative figure who would have a change of heart. Executed over eight fast-paced episodes, directors Shonali Bose, Vasant Nath and Neha Veena Sharma pack too much, making it sound like a rushed cinematic commentary on serious issues like freedom of speech, privatisation of education, etc. It does not give us enough time to absorb all the messages it gives out or feel for the characters. Some information, too, is just thrown into thin air, like Prof Dhar’s (Nandish Singh Sandhu) Kashmiri identity or Wallika’s environmental-activist father’s battle against corrupt industrialists, which gives her panic attacks.

Nandita Das’ character Prof Handa stands out with memorable lines, but we would have liked to see more of Revathi and Lillete Dubey, who have limited screen time. The young cast, however, makes up for it with their natural performances as they depict the anguish, happiness and ambition while navigating a complex and divisive society. They bring back the memories of our own college days, and those good ol’ times when standing up to the powers that be was not considered anti-national.