Five Underrated Hindi Films On Small Town Girls You Should Watch

There was once a time when the Hindi Cinema Industry had enchanted the audiences with the glamour of the elite and their drama. With the changing demands from the viewers, the filmmakers were forced to change the way they envisioned women in their cinemas. This greatly contributed to small-town girl characters shining in the limelight as the mainstream filmmakers decided to look for inspiration amongst these non-glamourous settings.

Although Vinayak Chakravorty mentioned in an article that it was largely because of Anand L Rai that the scenario began changing. Rai made Tanu Weds Manu starring Kangana Ranaut and R Madhavan in the year 2011 which changed preconceived notions of what small-town girls are like. He presented a small-town girl with a rebellious streak and confidence unparalleled. However, Hindi cinema has always made films on small-town characters, especially women—either by presenting old wine in a new bottle with minimal changes or one that has not been explored. Some films, even if clichéd, stay close to you.

Here's our selection of five Hindi films on small town girls that made a lasting impact

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag – Journey Of A Woman, directed by Pradeep Sarkar, released in 2007; Rani Mukherji, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor essayed the lead roles in the film. It follows the story of Vibhavari (Rani) who lives with her family in Benaras. She is forced to go to Mumbai for work after her father falls ill and she soon finds herself forced to take up a job as a hostess. Although the film received negative criticism because of the writing, it is the cinematic talent that makes it a good watch.

Rani Mukherji and Konkana Sen Sharma in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (IMDb)

Bunty Aur Babli

Rani Mukherji and Abhishek Bachchan’s duo shined in this 2005 crime comedy film as small-town con artists, partners-in-crime Bunty and Babli. Rakesh (Abhishek) and Vimmi (Rani) live in small towns called Fursatganj and Pankinagar respectively but harbour big aspirations. The duo meets on a train as they escape their homes in the dead of the night, befriend each other. A series of events later, the duo takes to conning people. The film was a commercial success; it was the second highest-grossing film of 2005.

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Masaan

The Neeraj Ghaywan directorial is a film that can easily move one to tears. The film discusses two tragic love stories and issues of a casteist society that eventually converges. Narrative one focuses on Devi Pathak (Richa Chaddha), who is being blackmailed by a police officer over her indulgence in pre-marital sex. The second narrative focuses on Deepak Kumar (Vicky Kaushal), a boy from Dom Community and Shaalu Gupta (Shweta Tripathi), an Upper caste Hindu girl and their love story that comes to an abrupt end with Shaalu’s death in a bus accident. Ghaywan’s directorial debut film received a positive reception from mainstream media and audiences.

Bareilly ki Barfi

Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkumar Rao-starrer film is a sweet tale of Bitti (Kriti) who is an independent woman who does not follow the rules of the patriarchal society. Upon reading a book by the same name as the movie, she realizes she is similar to the main character. Thence, resolved to find the author of the book. A hilarious dramedy ensues involving a fake (Rajkumar Rao) and original author (Ayushmann Khurrana) she fell for. The film beautifully captures the nuances of a small town which makes it a sweet watch. Needless to say, the heartwarming story did strike a chord with critics and audiences alike.

Anaarkali of Aarah

Written and directed by debutant Avinash Das, the 2017-film follows the story of a small-town erotic folk dancer from Aarah in Bihar. The film revolves around Anaarkali’s (Swara Bhaskar) confrontation with a Vice-Chancellor of a University (Sanjay Mishra) who attempts to sexually assault her. In an interview, filmmaker Das spoke about how a music video and a similar real-life incident led him to conceptualize and make this film. After its release on March 24, the film received applause and appreciation for its earnest attempt. Bhaskar, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi (who also stars in the film) received praises for their performances as well. More than execution, it’s the story that makes this film a must-watch film.

Swara Bhaskar in Anaarkali of Arah (IMDb)