Actor-couple Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal turned producers with Girls Will Be Girls. Produced under their banner, Pushing Buttons Studios, the film marks the directorial debut of Shuchi Talati. It had its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and was released on Prime Video on December 18. In a new interview with The Indian Express, Ali revealed how they did ‘jugaad’ to fund the project. (Also read: Girls Will Be Girls review: Kani Kusruti and Preeti Panigrahi shine in Shuchi Talati’s sensitive coming-of-age drama)

What Ali said

During the interview, Ali said, “We are all from a country that is famous for its jugaad… its ability to figure out a way to get things done. Honestly, we asked for money from here and there and even broke our FDs to fund Girls Will be Girls. But we managed. Now, it is getting a nice release, and many sections of the audience are watching it. It is possible.”

He added, “Our place is open for collaborations, and we would love to listen to a lot of ideas. We hope we can produce more films like these, and make it reach a wider audience.”

About Girls Will Be Girls

Girls will be Girls is a coming-of-age film produced under Richa and Ali’s Pushing Buttons Studios in collaboration with Blink Digital and Dolce Vita Films. The film is written and directed by debutant Shuchi Talati. It revolves around the journey of a 16-year-old girl Mira (Preeti Panigrahi), whose rebellious awakening is intertwined with her mother’s unfulfilled coming-of-age experiences. The story is set in a boarding school in a small Himalayan hill town in northern India. It also stars Kani Kusruti, Jitin Gulati and Kesav Binoy Kiron.

At the Sundance Film Festival, Girls will be Girls won the Audience award in the World Dramatic Entry category and the Special Jury Award for lead actor Preeti Panigrahi.