Her performance earned her the Special Jury Award for Acting at Sundance, with critics noting her ability to convey immense emotional shifts through subtle glances.

Set in a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayan foothills, the story follows , a 16-year-old high achiever who serves as the school's head girl. Her disciplined life is upended by two major forces: her first sexual awakening after meeting a new student named Sri , and her complex, often competitive relationship with her mother, Anila .

: Both women fight against rigid societal and academic expectations in an environment that often punishes girls for the natural behaviors of growth. Key Cast and Crew Girls Will Be Girls movie review

The standout element of Girls Will Be Girls is the tension between Mira (played brilliantly by Preeti Panigrahi) and Anila (Kani Kusruti). The film refuses to paint either as the villain. Instead, it presents a raw, unfiltered look at how jealousy and empathy can coexist within a family.

The status quo of Mira's tightly controlled life is disrupted by two major arrivals: