Rating: 7.1/10
Director: Pan Nalin
Writer: Pan Nalin, Subhadra Mahajan, Dilip Shankar, Arsala Qureishi
Stars: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Anuj Choudhry, Rajshri Deshpande, Sarah-Jane Dias
Runtime: 115 min
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 04 Dec 2015

Synopsis: India’s FIRST female buddy movie! A power packed comic drama about Indian women finding their hearts and loosing their heads! A wild bunch of girls from all over India descent upon Goa! Their closest friend FREIDA has invited them to her family home for a surprise announcement : she’s getting married! Thus begins an impromptu bachelorette. A riotous roller coaster of girl bonding: friendships, breakups, make ups, screw ups, passion, devastation, hesitation, terrorization, realization, boom- explosions! Among the fun and frenzy, heart breaks and heart aches, passion and obsession, youth and innocence, emotions run high and dry and hidden secrets surface. The girls go on living life like there is no tomorrow, oblivious of the impending doom upon them…
A group of college friends. A wedding. Countless secrets. Billed as “India’s first female buddy comedy,” Angry Indian Goddesses seems at first like the South Asian spin on Bridesmaids. But in the hands of award-winning filmmaker Pan Nalin (Samsara), the story takes surprising turns that upend genre expectations and explore the pressing issues of gender and sexism in contemporary Indian society. In the scenic beachside state of Goa, Frieda (Sarah Jane Dias), a strong-willed and celebrated photographer, gathers her closest friends on the eve of her nuptials. The diverse (and often hilarious) group is a snapshot of modern Indian society: Su (Sandhya Mridul), a businesswoman and mother; the engaging Nargis (Tannishtha Chatterjee, who also appears at this year’s Festival in Parched); Jo (Amrit Maghera), an aspiring Bollywood actress; Pammy (Pavleen Gujral), a housewife; Mad (Anushka Manchanda), a singer-songwriter; and the house servant, Lakshmi (Rajshri Deshpande). Everything’s set for a night of celebration. There’s only one issue: Frieda won’t say who her betrothed is. As they banter their way through a tonally varied series of scenes – some of them jubilantly comic, others loaded with pathos – the characters in Angry Indian Goddesses evolve far beyond mere tropes. Their conversation, derived entirely from improvisations among the actors, covers everything from sex to street harassment to the buff (and often shirtless) next-door neighbour. As the night goes on, we become acquainted with the women’s dreams, desires, fears, and above all, their unwavering bond with one another – a bond that eventually takes them to extreme lengths. The 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder sparked discussions about women’s rights in India that are still ongoing. An important new cinematic entry in the conversation, Angry Indian Goddesses is a refreshing and frank depiction of female empowerment from a key figure in independent South Asian cinema.
Freida (Sarah-Jane Dias) is a fashion photographer who invites a group of friends to her family’s home to announce that she is getting married. The group consists of Madhurita or Mad (Anushka Manchanda), a Bollywood singer, Pamela Jaswal or Pammy (Pavleen Gujral), a trophy wife, Suranjana or Su (Sandhya Mridul), a businesswoman, Nargis (Tannishtha Chatterjee), an activist and Joanna or Jo (Amrit Maghera), an aspiring actress. The announcement sets off a chain of reactions, letting out hidden secrets. After the announcement, the wild bunch of girls from all over India descends upon Goa. Thus begins an impromptu bachelorette party, and a riotous roller-coaster ride of girl-bonding. Amidst the fun and frenzy, the girls are oblivious of the impending doom and go on living life like there is no tomorrow.