When the teaser of Varsha Bharath’s debut Tamil film Bad Girl, starring Anjali Sivaraman in the lead role as Ramya, was released earlier this year, it would be an understatement to say that all hell broke loose. The film’s producers, Vetrimaaran and Anurag Kashyap, were accused by director Mohan G on social media of portraying Brahmins in a bad light. The teaser was later removed from YouTube at the Madras High Court’s orders. The debutant director remembers feeling ‘confused’ by it all.

“A couple of days after my teaser came out, we premiered the film at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where Bad Girl won the NETPAC Award,” recollects Varsha in an interview with Hindustan Times. “While everyone back home was telling me I had made a trashy film…or a porno, I had the international audience at the festival and filmmakers appreciating it. It was a very disorienting experience for me. I wondered if I could’ve done something differently, but in hindsight, my objective was just to cut a cool teaser, so there’s no regret there,” she adds.

Bad Girl’s release is a mixed bag, says Varsha

Bad Girl tells the story of a young girl named Ramya whose dream of finding the perfect boyfriend is obstructed by societal norms, strict parents, and sometimes her own mind. Varsha says she harboured hope before the film’s release in Tamil earlier this month that it would be a box office hit.

“It’s been both overwhelmingly good and, in some ways, a learning curve. The intensity with which women and young people have been reaching out to tell me they found the film relatable, that they feel seen, is beautiful. On the other hand, I was harbouring a hope that the film would be a box office success magically. Watching a movie with the audience teaches you a lot…it’s been a lot of lessons, but I’m happy,” says Varsha.

The director also states that she wanted to make Bad Girl because there has been a void of coming-of-age tales for women and girls in Kollywood. “I wanted to watch this movie, so I went ahead and made it. It’s not like, Oh! You’ve made one movie, so the problem is fixed,” she acknowledges, adding, “I think girlhood can be a lot of fun when we’re part of mainstream voices without being sob stories or imitating men. It can change a lot about how we perceive ourselves.”

Having the perfect team for Bad Girl

Varsha is thankful that she had a dream team while making Bad Girl. She says Anjali was a perfect fit to play Ramya as she didn’t ‘judge’ the character. “But other than that, she’s a fantastic actor. Not a lot of people can close their eyes and get into the head of a fifteen-year-old with ease. I really felt like she was Ramya, like she was meant for this character,” says the director.

The dynamic between Anjali and Shanthi Priya, who played her mother Sundari in the film, is also an interesting one, says Varsha. “Shanthi Priya is the mother of our crew as well, because we’re a young team. She’s generous and caring, someone I could turn to for advice,” she says, adding, “And in many ways, she espouses the character because she doesn’t describe herself as a feminist. She believes in equality as a concept, but doesn’t like the term feminism. It was quite interesting to have that different perspective.”

Varsha worked with Vetrimaaran as his Assistant Director before venturing out on her own. “Bad Girl was initially written for an OTT platform, but that didn’t pan out. Vetrimaaran sir decided to come on board because he believed in this story. It was daunting, however, because he has always yelled at me whenever I’ve screwed up,” she laughs, adding, “But to have a producer who cares so much about craft and politics as much as numbers is a boon. As for Anurag sir…Mumbai is so different from Chennai in how it operates. They’re two different worlds, and I’ve been amazed seeing them both work creatively to promote this film.”

Hindi release of Bad Girl

On Sunday, it was announced that Bad Girl will now be released in Hindi on 26 September. Varsha hopes that the film is not judged solely by its title or past controversies. “It’s so easy for people to misunderstand and get offended by a character in a 2-minute teaser. But having said that, this is a story about a girl who can be vulnerable. In fact, nobody had a problem with anything in the film after its release in Tamil,” she explains.

The director says that even her family, who have watched the film, have had nothing but good things to say. “It was anxiety-inducing, but a week before its Tamil release, I took my mother and the rest of the family to a screening. It was not a story they could relate to, but they weren’t infuriated by it. People can be open-minded, that’s all I’ve understood,” she says.

Varsha also says that the title, Bad Girl, has given some the impression that this would be a ‘negative’ film. “It’s not, it’s a happy movie that has a conversation that needs to be had. So, I hope women and young people come to the theatres and have fun. I’m as curious as anyone to see how it’s received. But I’ve also learnt that it’s okay to offend people for the right reasons. I’m very comfortable with offending people at this point,” she jokes, rounding off.