Sobhita Dhulipala reviews Varsha Bharath’s Bad Girl: ‘It had me smirking and tearing up, I feel seen’

Bad Girl, directed by debutant Varsha Bharath, is a film that upended the male gaze of our commercial cinema to tell a personal story of a woman and her daily battles with patriarchy and social conditioning. The project, bankrolled by Vetrimaaran’s Grass Root Film Company, underperformed at the box office due to its unconventional storytelling style. However, it received much praise for its nuanced portrayal of important issues related to gender inequality and female emancipation through the life journey of a girl from her school days to adult life. 

The film was praised earlier by director Mysskin, who added, ““To speak about three phases in the character’s life, she had chosen three cameramen. She has handled close-ups brilliantly. I have never seen a film with these many close-ups in so many angles, beautifully. When you watch the film, don’t criticize Varsha. She is a diamond, capable of getting the first Oscar award for a Tamil film. She might also get a National Award for her next film”. Actress Sobhita Dhulipala is the latest to review the film.

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Sobhita Dhulipala wrote on her Instagram story, “Bad Girl had me smirking AND tearing up. I feel seen. Beheld. (heart emoji) A film that ripens by the minute. , y’all. Shoutout to varsha.bharath3 and anjalisivaraman — you guys are simply beyond (confetti emoji). Watch it on JioHotstar.” The star’s story was re-shared by the director Varsha Bharath and leading lady of Bad Girl, Anjali Sivaraman. 

Bad Girl faced some controversy before its release with regards to backlash against the representation of a particular community to which the main character belongs. The coming-of-age drama also features Shanthipriya and Hridhu Haroon in the supporting cast. Bad Girl had its official premiere in the International Film Festival Rotterdam in February.