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Skater Girl
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Uplifting Indian drama has positive messages, some violence.

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Skater Girl
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Based on 2 parent reviews
Interesting Film
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A good feel movie
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What's the Story?
London-based Indian British advertising executive Jessica (Amy Maghera) has traveled to a rural Indian village to discover her roots in SKATER GIRL. There, she meets Prerna (Rachel Saanchita Gupta), a teenager who doesn't seem to know her own age and is often kept by her father out of school in order to help with chores. Jessica takes a special liking to Prerna and buys her the new uniform for school, which her family couldn't afford. When Prerna's brother Ankush (Shafin Patetl) and friends show up with makeshift skateboards and other toys made from scraps, Jessica has an idea to introduce them to actual skateboarding. Together with her American friend Erick (Jonathan Readwin), who is in India teaching, she manages to buy the local kids skateboards and skate gear. For Prerna, the freedom and individual joy that comes from riding is completely new in her life. Jessica is inspired to look for land and funds to construct a skate park, not an easy task for a single woman in a rural area of India. Her efforts will change the children's lives and shift some of the long-held limitations of the local society.
Is It Any Good?
Uplifting films about kids discovering themselves through sport are not new, but this one takes on deeper significance thanks to its setting. Skater Girl is successful precisely because it's location-specific but has universal messages. Some of those messages may feel obvious -- of course girls deserve equal opportunities and to decide their own destinies -- but the setting gives them a new urgency. When Prerna, played by magnetic newcomer Rachel Saanchita Gupta, rides a skateboard for the first time, the way her eyes and face light up says it all. The freedom, the excitement, the fun she experiences is a complete novelty and wakes her up to a life of new possibilities. It's hard to imagine a film in any other context infusing quite so much meaning to riding a skateboard down a street. When her mother pulls Prerna's red wedding veil down over her face, it's symbolic of a shutting down of those possibilities, a closing off of her dreams, and it represents just how much she now has to lose.
This film isn't based on a true story, but it was inspired by similar ones. The Indian village is depicted as a place where unspoken rules of caste and gender discrimination still reign, but kids everywhere just want to play and explore. Prerna's brother Ankush (adorable Shafin Patel) embodies this innocence -- he's not yet burdened by the rules of society and doesn't fully understand or abide by them. He even puts on a nonviolent, pro-skating protest inspired by Gandhi. The village is decrepit -- houses with holes in the roofs and single beds kids must share, abandoned buildings -- but it has its own beauty that the camera captures in contrasting the luster of the local women's flowing, jewel-toned clothing against white-washed and sun-soaked stone edifices. The film isn't without flaws. Parts of the plot feel rushed to get from point to point, Jessica's story of searching for her roots doesn't feel fully resolved, the fairy godmother character deserved more development, and dialogues, particularly between the White characters, can feel a bit forced. But you'll easily forgive those flaws when you get caught up in the sweetness and positivity of this story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the lives of girls depicted in the rural Indian village of Skater Girl. Where could you learn more about the social structure presented here?
How do the kids show gratitude in this movie? Why is this an important character strength?
Why do Jessica and Erick stay to teach the kids skating? Why do you think this is fulfilling for them?
The end credits reveal that the skate park was constructed for this film in 45 days and has become an attraction in its rural location. Where could you go to find more information about the park and the area?
Erick suggests skateboarding is seen as rebellious everywhere. Do you think that's the case? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: June 11, 2021
- Cast: Rachel Saanchita Gupta , Amy Maghera , Shafin Patel
- Director: Manjari Makijany
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Gratitude
- Run time: 109 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: Thematic material.
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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