Average Girl Anjali Patil

Hindi, Marathi, English, Tamil, French

Anjali Patil

91 9920797362 | anjali@anahatfilms.com

Synopsis

Sunita, a young Indian woman from a middle-class family, has her life path predetermined by her conservative parents. Her younger brother is always disappointed in her for being the family’s yes girl. Life keeps happening to Sunita, and she fails to say no or set any boundaries. Her friendship with a GenZ colleague pushes Sunita to ask more questions.

After a team bonding trip to Gokarna, Sunita’s life topples on its head. She is happier, more assertive, and closer to herself. However, that does not last too long. So, she takes a sabbatical at work to travel more and seek herself. She finds wisdom and solace in the mountains, ocean, her students, brave philanthropists, filmmakers, travellers, cafe owners, etc. Will she find answers to all her questions but more importantly, will she find herself?

Writer’s Statement

Average Girl is written to embark on a journey across the two dimensions- time and space. It borders on magical realism and explores the possibility of parallel realities. This script poured out of me during the first covid lockdown when we were all questioning what it means to be alive, and travelling was only possible through one’s imagination. Sunita’s character came to me with her backpack and her story, through the scenic landscapes of the city, the sea, the fields and the mountains. It’s the coming-of-age story of a late bloomer. Average Girl explores the classic question – Who am I? It navigates humankind’s eternal search for itself and its belongingness in the context of a contemporary world. Additionally, the film dapples in various sub-themes of defined gender roles, the everevolving versions of oneself, and the role of education in happiness and creating an equal world without fears.

Biography

Anjali Patil is known for her acting performances in Naa Bangaaru Thalli (National Award) and With You Without You (Presidential Award of Sri Lanka for best actress). She has performed in Chakravyuh, Mere Pyare Prime Minister, Kaala and Newton (India’s official entry to the Oscars 2018). She has also produced shorts like Green Bangles and Loose Long Shirt. Her own struggles as an artist pushed her to develop a platform for the underrepresented, leading to the conception of her production house, Anahat Films. Her first feature-length project as a director and producer is Neither a Girl Nor a Woman that explores the socio-cultural conditions around genders in contemporary times. It premiered at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival in Chicago. Anjali aims to continue to write, direct, and produce more projects grounded in authenticity and passion. She has a bachelor’s degree in Drama with a gold medal, and a master’s in Theatre Design at NSD, Delhi.