BOTTOM LINE
Girl-Centric Campus Drama
PLATFORM
PRIME VIDEO
RUNTIME
5 Hours (8 Episodes)
What Is the Show Ziddi Girls About?
A sex-ed video leak at Matilda House sets off a chain of controversies. Principal Malvika’s attempts at open dialogue are challenged and her replacement, Lata Bakshi, introduces a no-hostel-curfew policy, triggering a referendum that splits the student body. Meanwhile, the first-year students – Wallika, Devika, Tabassum, Vandana and Trisha – navigate their newfound freedom and form strong bonds.
Performances
Ziddi Girls perfectly makes the best of both worlds – stringing together a mix of youth and experience to refine an already rich story. The extended appearances of Nandita Das and Revathi provide immense credibility to the point the director tries to make, while our very own Simran is a league apart in a solid, well-crafted role, performed with so much restraint and authority.
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The new faces, with their raw, unrehearsed and organic portrayals, add a lot of value to the show. Atiya Tara Nayak as the gloriously messy Trisha is as good as Umang Bhadana’s conflicted Vandana, Zaina Ali’s confused Tabassum, Deeya Damini’s super-charged portrayal of Wallika, Sudhana’s Paro and Anupriya Caroli’s Devika. Others – including Nandish Singh Sandhu, Lillete Dubey, and Aditya Nanda – shine in small yet aptly cast roles.
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Analysis
Shonali Bose, the acclaimed filmmaker behind several credible projects like Amu, Margarita with a Straw and The Sky is Pink, returns to OTT three years after directing a short for Prime Video’s anthology Modern Love: Mumbai. In her latest campus drama, Ziddi Girls, she pays a fine homage to her alumnus institution Miranda House (changed to Matilda House) and its rebellious spirit.
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Leaving its real-life references aside, Ziddi Girls’ uncompromising spunkiness is its shining armour. It captures the pulse of student activism, clashes between contrasting ideologies, changing dynamics in a girls-only college, and the challenges experienced by the leadership to preserve its autonomy. It’s philosophically rich, visually pleasing, and consistently entertaining.
The first sequence, where a senior pushes a new student to watch a French erotica film in a hostel and the video gets leaked, offers a glimpse of the politically charged atmosphere on the campus. The ambience of an educational institution, run by women, for women, which encourages unfiltered opinions, unaffected by the patriarchy in the outer world, contributes to its authenticity.
The unwelcoming circumstances under which a new ‘conformist’ principal enters the college also generate an element of intrigue. While Lata Bakshi comes across as a diplomatic, conservative academician, the director organically peels back many layers of her life—as a single parent with an autistic son who does her best to guard the institution and the needs of her students.
Coincidentally, it also charts the individual journeys of the pivotal characters from varied socio-economic backgrounds, their contrasting conflicts, love lives and how they have each other’s back in times of crisis. The dual perspective – of the students and management – enriches its world. The casting choices – like Simran, Revathi and Nandita Das – help the director make her point well.
The love-hate relationship among the girls at the hostel is brought out to the fore sans any filters – it is refreshing how the story implicitly suggests that the campus is a leveller in more ways than one. Devika’s financial struggles dictate her approach towards campus issues, while the same situation builds a warrior in Paro. The challenges are no less for a more privileged hockey enthusiast Trisha.
Trisha’s difficulty choosing between a long-distance boyfriend and a newfound crush effectively mirrors the challenges in modern-day relationships. The Insta-crazy Tabassum’s part casts light on the toxicity in the digital space and Vandana’s role offers a peek into the hypocrisies in the theatre world. The presence of a specially abled Wallika brings inclusivity and variety to the girl gang.
As the show moves on, it primarily emphasises the oneness of the institution that stands up to the various external forces that try to disrupt it – rival student organisations, private entities and sensationalist media. At a time when most campus sagas seek refuge in nostalgia and cushy romances, Ziddi Girls is a breath of fresh air – telling what it means to run and study in government-aided institutions.
For a 59-year-old filmmaker to dig deep into the nuances of campus politics with such verve and sincerity (without sounding old school) and ensure it is cinematically riveting is nothing short of a tall feat. Ziddi Girls is a commendable effort and is just the alternative form of storytelling that OTT deserves more of. Go, watch it.
Music and Other Departments?
Aditya N and Nayantara Bhatkal, who’ve worked on the music, churn out a largely impressive score, though the songs don’t make a mark much. The poetry, in particular, is not as impactful as one would’ve expected it to be. The burst of bright, vivid colours on the screen – in terms of costumes and production design – enrich the ambience. Though slightly on the lengthier side (5 hours), the duration is not much of an issue. Writers/co-creators Ishita Pritish Nandy, Rangita Pritish Nandy, Vasant Nath and Neha Sharma deserve a pat on their back for the writing.
Highlights?
Excellent writing, strong characters
Top-notch execution
Good casting, performances
Drawbacks?
Gets monotonous on a certain level
Poetry/music is not all that impressive
Tries to tick too many boxes to be inclusive
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
If you enjoy campus sagas
Ziddi Girls Web Series Review by M9
