4–6 minutes
This movie touched me personally. I think it will touch most girls and women irrespective of age.
Back in February, I watched the trailer. I couldn’t grasp much, but one dialogue between Ramya and her mom stayed with me: “Who will take care of you?” That question has been in my mind for a long time. My close circle knows this, we’ve often debated single life, married life, divorce, infidelity, and ended with different philosophies.
Most movies rarely portray women’s voices. They’re centered on men, his struggles, achievements, marriage, fights. Recently, some films have started focusing on women. Kannagi brought out the various stages of a woman’s life, but with more focus on her relationships and the spillover effects of choices. This movie is different, it centers more on Ramya and her mother, on the conditioning passed between them, and how women wrestle with themselves in silence.
The movie explores different stages of Ramya’s teenage life. The conversations are simple yet sharp. You feel it in the dynamics between her, her mother and grandmother. I often explain the love–hate relationship with mothers, and very few people get it. But this movie captured it raw and fresh. Maybe more, if ramya had a brother. We’ve had countless father–son movies, but rarely this.
From the beginning, Anjali fully lived the role of Ramya. Her first attraction, her questioning of “what’s wrong,” her desire to be with him, and her rebellion when parents separated them all felt real. In that same scene, both Ramya and her mother are questioned. Only Ramya tried to step out and managed to break the few tangles of the chain, but her mother cannot. Then Ramya falls for Arjun, a toxic pattern. She becomes self-focused, revolving around partners.
The friends’ roles were very well crafted. It showed how important a women’s circle is at every stage of life. The grandmother’s death revealed her conditioning yet felt the greif of her death. Ramya realizes she was never really single since her teens. Only when she chose herself stopping alcohol, fixing sleep, caring for her skin, did she start to shift.
I liked the re-entry of Nalan in her life. It made her question her choices. If she had married, she would be living the same life as Nalan, raising a child and carrying that routine. The writing around his character was strong. Among all male characters, Nalan stood out.
The scene where Ramya takes the baby out of the smoke during the function was powerful. The baby smiles in her arms but cries the moment it is taken back. A beautiful, simple metaphor for how conditioning works. This is where the “good girl syndrome” comes in the way women are conditioned to please, obey, and suppress their true emotions. It’s not just a cultural burden, research shows women who suppress anger, grief, or desire are more prone to stress-related health issues, including autoimmune diseases. Watching Ramya’s story, we could see how generations of suppression live in the bones of women.
The animals in the movie brought out two metaphors in the movie.
- Ramya is like a cat, seeking space from conditioning, relationships, and chaos. Yet at one point she says she enjoyed being taken along in a cab, shown with the picture of a dog revealing both sides of her.
- Ramya’s cat was her. Wandering, seeking freedom. Her mother kept trying to protect it, afraid it couldn’t survive outside. In the end, Ramya like the cat returned. Not in obedience, but in choosing connection on her own terms. It reminds me of how our feelings change over time like hating pink, then liking it again.
Over the years, I’ve realized mothers are also victims of conditioning, often without awareness. My perspective shifted. The lens changed. The movie shows the bigger picture, yet could’ve included the everyday details like no short dresses, not drying lingerie outside, wearing bindis and bangles, and more. I liked the climax. Many women, including me, were raised hearing: This is not your home. Your husband’s home is yours. But in reality, none of those feel truly ours. The movie emphasized the importance of having a woman’s own space.
The film doesn’t push a single choice. It shows women marrying, having children, divorcing all as possibilities. At the end, all you have is you to heal.
I also read a few reviews, including criticism. But I believe anything this raw will be criticized because it speaks the reality many don’t want to face. It’s about the life of an urban girl, which may differ for women raised in villages or tier-two and three cities. Some critics pointed out caste or other missing layers, but you can’t have too many main ingredients and still make a film with this kind of rawness and freshness. Its strength lies in its honesty, not in ticking every box.
Interestingly, on the morning before watching, my friend and I discussed habits, parents, meeting people, and routines. We were struggling to decide: do we need more alone time or constant socializing? Most of us are caught in this tug wanting to detach, but also wanting attachment. Not sure of car or dog or wanting both at various stands.
This film reflects that. Watch it, and you might see yourself too. The music was beautiful. I might rewatch it and come back here.
Cheers
Check out the previous post: Story Time #01: Layered! & Movie Reviews
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Random Whys 