Anurag Kashyap-backed 'Bad Girl' wins award at Rotterdam Film Festival
What's the story
Varsha Bharath's Tamil coming-of-age drama, Bad Girl, has bagged the coveted NETPAC award at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
The film is presented by Anurag Kashyap and Vetrimaaran.
The NETPAC award is given to path-breaking films from the Asia Pacific region.
Notably, the film has been embroiled in controversy and a section of netizens has termed it "anti-Brahmin."
Plot details
'Bad Girl' explores societal perceptions of female desire
Bad Girl stars Anjali Sivaraman and chronicles the journey of a young woman from high school to college as she deals with society's perception of female desire.
The protagonist candidly voices her emotions as a teenager, only to be criticized and judged.
Male classmates shame her while her female friends call her desperate. As she goes to college and finds a relationship, she faces deep-rooted misogyny.
Production details
'Bad Girl' marks Amit Trivedi's Tamil debut
The cast of Bad Girl also features Shanthi Priya, Saranya Ravichandran, Hridhu Haroon, TeeJay Arunasalam, and Sashank Bommireddipalli.
The film marks the Tamil debut of National Award-winning music director Amit Trivedi, who has composed six songs for the film.
Preetha Jayaraman, Jagadeesh Ravi, and Prince Anderson have handled the cinematography, while the editing is by Radha Sridhar.
Festival highlights
Other winners at the 54th IFFR
Igor Bezinovic's Fiume o morte! bagged the Tiger Award for best film at IFFR 2025. The hybrid documentary revisits the occupation of Rijeka by Italian nationalists post-World War I.
Jon Blahed's Raptures, which explores the 1930s apocalyptic cult in Sweden, won the Big Screen Award and is the first feature shot in Meankieli, a minority language in Sweden.