Shobhana Padinjattil’s debut feature Girl Friends is a brave and heartfelt exploration of identity, friendship, and love set against the urban backdrop of Thiruvananthapuram. What stands out immediately is the film’s commitment to telling a story that has rarely been given space in Malayalam cinema—a narrative centered on the fluidity of sexuality and the complex bonds between women. This alone makes Girl Friends a significant and timely work.
The film brings together five women—Rosa, Janaki, Uma, Nandhana, and Benila—each navigating their own desires, uncertainties, and evolving relationships. Their conversations unfold naturally, sometimes tentative, sometimes intense, capturing the rhythm of real-life friendships. The café setting, inspired by a real restaurant that closed during the COVID-19 lockdown, creates a familiar and intimate space, adding to the authenticity of their interactions.
One of the most commendable aspects of Girl Friends is its concept. By focusing on queer identity in a culturally rooted and socially evolving Kerala, the film opens a conversation that is both necessary and long overdue. It takes courage to address these themes, and Shobhana Padinjattathil does so with sensitivity and honesty.
The film’s journey to the screen is itself an inspiring story. Shobhana’s transition from librarian to filmmaker at the age of 50, using her provident fund to finance this project, speaks volumes about her passion and determination. That personal commitment shines through in the film’s vision, even when the execution doesn’t always fully align with its ambitions.
While the film’s aesthetics might differ from the more polished or stylized approaches often seen in contemporary cinema, there is a rawness and immediacy here that reflects a genuine attempt to stay true to the characters’ experiences. This choice, while unconventional, gives the film its unique texture and honesty.
That said, the film does suffer from a drawback often seen in Indian cinema—the tendency to use actors primarily as vehicles for delivering content through dialogue, much like a stage drama. The distinction between film and theatre often blurs here; rooms become stages, and the cinematic potential of space and subtlety sometimes remains unexplored. This limits the film’s visual storytelling and makes it feel more confined, missing opportunities to deepen its narrative through atmosphere and action beyond dialogue.
Girl Friends is an important step forward in Malayalam cinema—not just for its subject matter but for the spirit behind its making. It’s a film that invites conversation, reflection, and empathy, and in doing so, it carves out space for stories that deserve to be told.
