Bad Girl: Why are netizens divided over Varsha Bharath’s coming-of-age film?

Bad Girl: While some viewers praise its relatability, others criticize it for lacking intersectional feminism, focusing solely on an upper-caste perspective

Bad Girl

Bad Girl, the recently released Tamil film which is a coming-of-age drama, has become the talk among a section of social media users, leaving a divided opinion. The film is written and directed by Varsha Bharath and is a story of a young girl as she navigates life amid the societal norms and her wishes. But ever since Bad Girl released in theatres, the online chatter has poles opposite opinions, some loving the film while other dissing it for ignoring some perspectives.

Bad Girl: Netizens are divided over Varsha Bharath’s debutant

Bad Girl, the 2025 Tamil film released in theatres on September 5. While the humble film is making similar earnings at the box office, Bad Girl is also creating enough chatter on social media circles. The film is written and directed by Varsha Bharath, a former assistant of Vetrimaaran.

Bad Girl is a coming-of-age drama that revolves around a girl called Ramya who comes from an orthodox Brahmin household. The girl goes through the brunt of misogyny and patriarchy, as the film traces her life till early 30s.

Also read: Bad Girl actor Anjali Sivaraman: Playing Ramya felt cathartic, it’s a film that will make you feel seen | EXCLUSIVE

The film had predominantly opened to positive reviews with many hailing the film to be relatable. But a few sections of audience, have backlashed the film for not showing the intersectional feminism, given it has ignored the cries of Dalit women, presenting only the angle of a woman from upper caste. However, another section which has been enjoying Bad Girl advocate that the film can present only the perspective from the milieu the story is set in and is irrelevant to present all the angles.

Bad Girl cast and crew

Bad Girl features Anjali Sivaraman playing the lead role, as Ramya. The supporting characters include Shanthi Priya, Saranya Ravichandran, Hridhu Haroon, TeeJay Arunasalam, Sashank Bommireddipalli. The film was shot by three cinematographers; Preetha Jayaraman (ISC), Jagadeesh Ravi, Prince Anderson, while Radha Sridhar is the editor. Amit Trivedi has scored the music.

Also read: Bad Girl director Varsha Bharath Interview: 'Everybody should be critical of their own surroundings at one point'

Before debuting in Indian theatres, Bad Girl had a festival run in the international circuit. It bagged the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and Young Jury Award for Best Feature Film at the 40th Cinema Jove - Valencia International Film Festival in Spain.

FAQs

Q. Did Bad Girl Tamil movie release?

A. Yes. Bad Girl released in theatres on September 5.

Q. Where can I watch Bad Girl?

A. You can watch Bad Girl in theatres right now.

Q. Who is Varsha Bharath?

A. Varsha Bharath is director of upcoming film Bad Girl. She is former assistant of Vetrimaaran.

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