I don’t think stereotyping boys as failures is harmful, says Bad Girl director Varsha Bharath
Chennai: Director Varsha Bharath’s upcoming film “Bad Girl” is creating buzz these days. The movie, a coming-of-age drama set to release across India on September 5, sparks important conversations about stereotypes and societal prejudices.
During a recent pre-release event, the filmmakers shared a teaser showing a scene where a teacher scolds a girl student, saying, “You walk like a boy, you talk like a boy and you fail like a boy.” Many viewers thought this scene was reinforcing stereotypes about boys being failures.
When spoke with director Varsha Bharath about this, she clarified her thoughts. She said, “No, that is actually stereotyping girls.” She explained, “In my experience, I’ve always failed in school and was told I was like a boy.”
Asked whether she thinks there’s a stereotype suggesting boys are associated with failure, she responded, “Girls, out of fear, tend to study more.”
She also shared her views on stereotypes, saying she doesn’t believe all stereotypes are harmful. “Certain stereotypes in a patriarchal society are harmful, especially those that involve power,” she explained. For example, she pointed out, “If someone says women are bad drivers, that’s a harmful stereotype.”
According to her, the scene in the film is spoken by a prejudiced teacher who demonstrates her own biases. She made it clear, “I am not stereotyping boys as failures. The character—the teacher—is speaking from her prejudice.”
Varsha Bharath opened up about her own school days, sharing, “I was often a bad student and got expelled from school. When classmates who failed were made to stand out, I was usually among them. But I noticed that many girls, even if not the smartest, studied hard enough to pass because they had fear and dedication. It was lonely for me as a failing girl, but boys often had company in their failures.”
“Bad Girl” has already stirred debate since its teaser was released in January, with some praising it as bold and honest, while others accused it of promoting Brahmin bashing. The film has received a U/A certificate from the censor board and is produced by acclaimed filmmaker Vetri Maaran. Anurag Kashyap’s Grass Root Film Company is presenting the movie.
The film has been highly appreciated at international festivals, winning awards such as the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film at Rotterdam, the Young Jury Award at Valencia in Spain, and the Student Choice Award at the Indian Film Festival of Toulouse in France. It was also selected for screenings at the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
“Bad Girl” features talented actors like Anjali Sivaraman, Shanthi Priya, Hridhu Haroon, TeeJay Arunasalam, Sashank Bommireddipalli, and Saranya Ravichandran.
On the technical side, the film boasts cinematography by Preetha Jayaraman, Jagadeesh Ravi, and Prince Anderson. Editing is handled by Radha Sridhar, with music composed by Amit Trivedi. Costume design is by Shruthi Manjari, sound design by Vinoth Thanigasalam, and sound mixing by Prathap. Visual effects work was done by R Hariharasuthan.
“Bad Girl” promises to be a thought-provoking film that sheds light on societal stereotypes and the struggles of young girls, making it a must-watch this September.
