Skater Girl

About the film

Skater Girl is a 2021 coming-of-age sports drama film directed by Manjari Makijany. The cast includes newcomers Rachel Sanchita Gupta and Shafin Patel, and also stars Amrit Maghera, Jonathan Readwin and Waheeda Rehman. It was written by Manjari Makijany and Vinati Makijany, who co-produced the film through their Indian production company Mac Productions. It was released on 11 June 2021 by Netflix to critical acclaim.

Plot

In the remote village Khempur, where life is governed by tradition and societal norms, Prerna, a teenage girl, obedient and respectful of her family's expectations, but with a spark of curiosity, desires for something more.

Jessica, a British-Indian woman, arrives in the village to explore her late father’s roots. She is fascinated by the simplicity of village life and begins to connect with the local children. Jessica’s clothes get dirty when a young boy, Ankush, involved in a scuffle with a schoolmate, accidentally throws cow dung onto her shirt. Ankush is the younger brother of Prerna. Prerna takes Jessica to a water pump to get her to wash herself. Jessica learns from Prerna that Prerna's community uses a different water station as they belong to lower caste. Observing the children playing with makeshift toys, she posts a video of the children playing, which inspires her friend, Erick, to travel to the village with his own, proper board. She orders a few skateboards and, with the help of Erick, teaches the kids how to skate. The children, including Prerna, are initially puzzled but soon become enthralled by the sport.

After helping a reluctant Prerna up on the board, Erick gifts her his own skateboard, which she accidentally destroys at the water dam. Scared of facing him, Prerna steals cash from her father and goes to Erick to compensate for his destroyed board. As Erick doesn't accept the money, Jessica applauds Prerna's honesty but asks her to return the money to her father. While keeping the cash back in the safe, she is caught by her father and gets beaten. She is later consoled by her mother to whom she confesses that skateboarding makes her feel free, to which her mother cautiously warns her that women in the village aren't allowed to be free. As the children’s enthusiasm for skateboarding grows, it becomes a regular activity in the village. Prerna, in particular, shows a natural talent for the sport. The kids become infatuated with the sport, skating through the village, disrupting everything and everyone around them. Prerna’s father is particularly alarmed, believing that such activities are inappropriate for girls. He forbids Prerna from skating and insists that she focus on her domestic duties and studies.

Production

The idea for "Skater Girl" was inspired by the real-life skateboarding movement in India, which has been growing rapidly in recent years, particularly in rural areas. Manjari Makijany, who co-wrote the script with her sister Vinati Makijany, sought to tell a story that not only highlights the sport but also addresses social issues such as gender inequality and the empowerment of young girls in conservative communities.

The filmmakers undertook intensive research to ensure an authentic portrayal of the cultural and social dynamics in rural India. This included spending time in villages, interacting with locals, and understanding the challenges faced by young girls in such environments.

The casting process was particularly challenging, with a focus on finding actors who could authentically represent the characters and the environment. Rachel Saanchita Gupta was cast as Prerna, the film’s protagonist, marking her debut in a leading role. The filmmakers brought in real skateboarders from India to add authenticity to the skateboarding scenes. Over three thousand children were auditioned, many of them skaters from skate communities across India. These skateboarders, many of whom had never acted before, were trained to perform in front of the camera, adding a layer of realism to the film. Kids from Khempur were trained by professional skateboarders and were cast as secondary characters.

Release

The film was released on Netflix on 11 June 2021 in 191 countries and 31 languages across the globe.

Reception & Legacy

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10.

Writing for RogerEbert.com, critic Sheila O’Malley said the film “captures the iconoclastic freedom and rebellion skateboarding has so often represented, and it joins a long line of rousing skate films.” O’Malley added,Newcomer [Rachel Sanchita] Gupta is a revelation, as is [Shafin] Patel, who plays her mischievous and sweet younger brother. Both understand all of the complexities of this story and give beautiful and powerful performances. There may be one too many obstacles placed in Prerna's way…stacking the deck against her so there will be an even bigger payoff. But overall "Skater Girl" is so gratifying it doesn't matter.

Anupama Chopra from film companion in her review said, "Manjari captures this exhilaration effectively: this is what happens when stifled lives are allowed a moment of recklessness. In one scene, Jessica astutely observed that people don't hate skaters. They hate their spirit. There is a lovely sequence in which Prerna and Ankush sneak out of their home at night to practice – the flashlight on their skateboard create designs on the cement floor of the park. As simplistic as the storytelling is, by the end, the emotion kicks in. After all, no matter how impossible the scenario, it's always lovely to see a young girl take flight."

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