Girls Will Be Girls, the debut production by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s Pushing Buttons Studio, has garnered two prestigious nominations at the 40th Independent Spirit Awards. The film is in contention for the John Cassavetes Award and Best Supporting Performance for Kani Kusruti.
Directed by Shuchi Talati, Girls Will Be Girls follows 16-year-old Mira (Preeti Panigrahi) as she navigates a rebellious awakening intertwined with her mother’s (Kusruti) own unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences. The film has been recognised in the John Cassavetes Award category, which honours films made with a budget under $1 million. Other nominees in this category include Big Boys, Ghostlight, Jazzy, and The People’s Joker.
Kusruti’s nuanced portrayal has earned her a spot in the Best Supporting Performance category. She is up against esteemed performers such as Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), Joan Chen (Dìdi), Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson), and Brigette Lundy-Paine (I Saw the TV Glow), among others. Kusruti, known for her role in the Golden Globe-nominated All We Imagine As Light, has received widespread acclaim for her transformative performance.
Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal react
Chadha expressed immense pride in the film’s accomplishments: “To be nominated for the John Cassavetes Award, which celebrates independent filmmaking at its finest, is truly an honour. And Kani’s nomination is a testament to her incredible talent and the truly incredible year she is having.”
Fazal echoed her sentiments, calling the recognition a “dual celebration” for the team: “Independent cinema often struggles to find its place, but this recognition by the Independent Spirit Awards highlights the fact that there is a place for all kinds of cinema. Girls Will Be Girls is a case study in how co-productions can be made for a global audience, with an Indian story at its heart. Kani’s performance is nothing short of transformative, and her nomination is well-deserved.”
Girls Will Be Girls premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it won two awards in August. It also bagged multiple accolades at MAMI recently. The film is set to debut on Prime Video on 18 December.
The Independent Spirit Awards 2025, which celebrate the best in independent filmmaking, will take place on 22 February in Santa Monica, California. This recognition further cements Girls Will Be Girls as a standout example of Indian independent cinema resonating with global audiences.