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Bad Girl Director Varsha Bharath on Its Mother–Daughter “Central Romance”

Varsha Bharath calls the bond between Ramya and her mother Sundari the heart of Bad Girl: a difficult relationship that reaches toward peace without ending its disagreements.
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In Bad Girl, the central relationship is not a conventional love story: it is the uneasy bond between Ramya and her mother, Sundari. Director Varsha Bharath calls it “The mother-daughter relationship is the central romance in this film.” She describes the ending not as a neat reconciliation, but as a promise to try again while the two remain “slightly at odds.”

Why the mother–daughter relationship is the film’s central romance

Bad Girl follows Ramya, played by Anjali Sivaraman, through adolescence and adulthood as she negotiates her self-image, romantic relationships and difficult connection with her mother Sundari, played by Shanti Priya. Asked what went into writing that arc, Bharath put the mother and daughter at the emotional center of the film: “The mother-daughter relationship is the central romance in this film.”

In Bharath’s framing, “romance” points to the relationship’s importance, not to an easy or idealized bond. Sundari’s influence shapes Ramya, and their connection remains consequential even when they disagree. Bharath says she wanted to tell the story of two women who do not make peace until the end.

What the ending does—and does not—resolve

Bharath says producer Vetri Maaran encouraged her to add a scene in which Ramya hugs Sundari and tells her she loves her. In Bharath’s account, the scene was shot 10 days before release and was not in the version shown at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. She describes the moment as completing the arc, not erasing the conflict.

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“They are always going to be slightly at odds,” Bharath says. The ending offers an attempt to do better rather than a guarantee that mother and daughter will stop hurting or frustrating each other. Their awkward peace matters precisely because it leaves room for disagreement.

Personal feelings, fictional incidents

Bharath says the emotions and questions in the film are personally familiar to her, but distinguishes that connection from autobiography: “The film is not autobiographical, the incidents are fictitious.” She reflects on adolescent alienation, loneliness, insecurity about appearance and the pull of romantic validation, as well as the later work of questioning and unlearning those feelings.

She also says society teaches women to compete with one another. These are Bharath’s reflections on the film’s themes, rather than claims that every woman or adolescent has the same experience.

Ramya is meant to be seen at eye level

Bharath describes Ramya as flawed and sometimes self-absorbed. She did not want audiences to regard the character as an aspirational model; she wanted them to see her at eye level. That choice suits a coming-of-age story in which a young woman’s mistakes and changing understanding are part of the subject, rather than problems the film needs to disguise.

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Bharath says she looked for an actor who could play Ramya in both the teenage and adult portions and approach the character without judging her. She says Sivaraman’s understanding of Ramya and comfort with ambiguity informed the casting. Bharath says she chose Shanti Priya for Sundari after seeing her profile and meeting her.

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Release and language context

Nandini Ramnath’s Scroll interview with Bharath, published September 26, 2025, reports that Bad Girl premiered at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam in February 2025 and won a NETPAC Award there. It reports a Tamil theatrical release in Tamil Nadu on September 5, 2025, and says the Hindi dub, supervised by Anurag Kashyap’s team, came out on the interview’s publication date. Bharath says the Hindi version makes the film accessible to people who do not read subtitles. This dated account does not establish where the film can currently be streamed or purchased.

The interview also names Hridhu Haroon, Sashank Bommireddipalli, Teejay Arunasalam and Saranya Ravichandran in the cast, and Amit Trivedi as the composer. Vetri Maaran is identified as the producer.

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