Skater Girl
Skater Girl
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Skater Girl is an uplifting Hindi-language drama about a British woman named Jessica (Amy Maghera) seeking her roots in a rural Indian village who finds new motivation when she meets a group of children who've never seen a skateboard before. With the help of a friend, she gets them all boards and gear, which leads to new opportunities for exploration and growth. In securing land and funds to build a skate park, Jessica makes a powerful case for the importance of giving kids, especially girls, expanded options. The village children, who've all made their own special riding board or toy on wheels using scraps, are shown to be living in poverty. And the girls and women have limited choices, with decisions regularly being made for them. Central teenage character Prerna (Rachel Saanchita Gupta) is forced by her father to miss school and do work and chores; eventually she'll be forced to wed someone of her father's choosing. Her mother isn't allowed to work outside the home, and her father yells at, slaps, and pushes them both. The village has rules about caste dynamics, including separate water fountains and friend groups. Prerna and the other village kids appreciate (and show gratitude for) the things they do have and all that they're given. Prerna takes a big risk at the end to follow her dreams, and it pays off. Language includes "hell" and "shut up."
Community Reviews
A good feel movie
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Interesting Film
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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 28, 2022
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