Discover Overlooked Indie Films with Deep Narratives

In the era of mass-action commercial films, the deep narrative films get overlooked. And if you're someone who loves these slice-of-life indie films. I've got two amazing films for you.

Girls Will Be Girls (2024)

Written & Directed by Shuchi Talati

This is a special one. Premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, Girls Will Be Girls is a story of Mira, a teenage girl who's the first female prefect in her school, exploring her sexuality, her relationship with a schoolboy, and her strained relationship with her mother. The character of Mira and her mother is very well written; the film doesn't let itself get into any kind of fluff and only focuses on its three main characters and the main conflict. The crew of this film deserves a lot of credit; the film is set in the beautiful mountains, but the frames by Jih-E Peng are simplistic and composed, which in a way perfectly symbolizes Meera. The music by Pierre Oberkampf & Sneha Khanwalkar is beautiful, and the very tight editing by Amrita David makes this film a great example of true collaboration. The cast is exceptional; Preeti Panigrahi completely embodies Meera; her nuanced performance holds the entire film; it's brilliant; she even won an award for it at the Sundance Film Festival. Kesav, as the foreign boy, fits perfectly in the mix. And last but not least, Kani Kusruti, she is just perfect; the emotions and actions of a protected mother and a wife living away from her husband are portrayed beautifully. Shuchi Talati's direction keeps you hooked throughout, makes you actually care about the characters, and makes you anxious; she creates a tension in the film alive so smoothly. I believe she's one of the biggest talents to look out for. The film won several awards at the several film festivals and deservedly so.

This is a must-watch. Do watch this really fine indie film. Special shoutout to Richa Chadha & Ali Fazal to produce the film. Do not miss this film; it's on Amazon Prime Video.

All We Imagine As Light (2024)

Written & Directed by Payal Kapadia

I think a lot of you might have already heard of this film by now, but if you still haven't,. Look no further. Writer-director Payal Kapadia captures the story of four characters; three are nurses, and the fourth one is the city of Mumbai itself. The film starts off with random people telling the story of themselves migrating to the city for a better life. One of the biggest themes of the film is loneliness. It perfectly captures the fact that you can be really lonely even in a crowd. Nurse Prabha has been in this city for some time now; she receives a present that turns her life upside down. Her roommate Anu is fighting to be with her partner, and Parvathy is fighting for living in her own house. The characters are in constant quest for some closure and hope. Cinematographer Ranabir Das captures the busy streets of Mumbai perfectly; it's slightly chaotic and claustrophobic. This film really moves you, makes you relate very closely with the characters. Which is something that gets lost sometimes in films. The cast is absolutely phenomenal, especially Kani Kusruti & Chaya Kadam.

It is the first film from India to compete in the main competition in Cannes since 1994. It even won the Grand Prix. It's been nominated for so many major awards throughout the year, including two Golden Globes. Do watch this beautiful film; it's finally released on Disney+ Hotstar.