After their star studded wedding reception last month, actors Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal return to work with the shooting commencement of their maiden production venture, Girls Will Be Girls in Uttarakhand.
The film, directed by debutante Shuchi Talati, will mark Malayalam actor Kani Kusruti's debut in Bollywood and has already been in the news for the various prestigious grants it has received this past year.
The story is set in a boarding school in a small Himalayan town and follows 16 years old Mira, whose rebellious coming of age is hijacked by her mother who never got to come of age. Earlier this year, the film won the Arte Kino prize and the VFF Talent Highlights Award at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. Pushing Buttons Studio had also conducted a free lighting workshop called UnderCurrent for women who wish to become gaffers in the industry in June 2022.
Kani who is renowned for her acting prowess, has won the prestigious Kerala State award, the Rome Prisma Award and the BRICS international awards in the past and will share screen with two new young actors, Preeti Panigrahi and Kesav Binoy Kiron, the other two leads besides Kani.
Shuchi Talati, director of the film, says, " I am overwhelmed by the process and very excited to make my first film. I hope I can live up to expectations since I am working with a fantastic set of actors and a great crew".
Adding to her thoughts, actress and producer Richa Chadha, says, "I always wanted to get behind good quality indies. Shuchi and I have been friends since college and I am happy to be a part of her journey. I am confident she will make a good feature which has huge international prospects".
The film is an Indo-French co-production being jointly produced by Pushing Buttons Studios, Crawling Angel Films and the French company, Dolce Vita Films.
"We started this creators lab with the intent of backing new talent. Girls Will Be Girls is an apt first film for us to that end," says Ali Fazal.