Skater Girl Review: Skateboarding is Not a Crime
The titular skater girl is named Prerna, meaning “inspiration,” and that’s what the film Skater Girl is in a word: inspiring.
Sometimes films that are trying to be inspiring come off as preachy or overblown with its message—kind of like an after school special stuck in the “it’s so bad” classification rather than moving on to “it’s so bad, that it’s good” status.
Skater Girl is the furthest from this. It is so good, that it’s great, just by being itself and not trying to be anything other than naturally wholesome and heartwarming.
The story develops organically—revealing things and hinting at signs to the larger picture or adding depth through a meaningful subplot. It all seems intentional at the end but not obvious during the journey.
By following one family’s difficulties in dealing with change and equitable progress, it’s easy for one to get invested in their lives as well as the issue at large that the film so eloquently brings to light.
In the small, rural town of Rajasthan, India, villagers maintain traditional family values and archaic gender roles, so a young girl developing a passion for skating shakes up well-established norms.
Jessica: I don’t want to disrupt anything here.
Erick: You just gave those kids skateboards. You have disrupted everything.
Jessica (Amy Maghera) is an outsider with an insider connection to the village. Having recently found out that her deceased father lived for a time in Rajasthan, she makes a pilgrimage there to feel close to him.
That’s when she meets Prerna and her little brother Ankush, and that wonderful disruption begins.
Newcomers Rachel Saanchita Gupta and Shafin Patel shine as this loving sibling duo, and are the heart and soul of the film. As they challenge the status quo of their village, many obstacles get in their way, and many of them are heartbreaking.
Parents, school teachers, local elders, and government officials all condemn the sport and the children’s interest in it. “People don’t hate skaters,” remarks Jessica, “They hate their spirit.”
The spirit of these young Rajasthanis is one that encompasses equality in all its forms. For them, skateboarding is for everyone—boys and girls, young and old, rich and poor. And in a place that adheres to strict gender roles and an antiquated caste system, fighting for equality for all is going to create an upheaval—but a much needed one.
With the help of Jessica and Erick (Jonathan Readwin), Prerna and Ankush lead this revolution of sorts. Ankush is an active force in the resistance and Prerna is more hesitant because as a girl, the rules against her are more severe.
After learning about Ghandi, Ankush organizes a protest when local legislation declares skateboarding a crime. It is exhilarating to see young people take a stand, and especially with precocious little Ankush leading the charge.
Ankush: Skating is not a crime!
Kid protesters: Not a crime! Not a crime!
Ankush: We kids want to shine!
Kid protesters: Want to shine! Want to shine!
Ankush: Fulfill our wishes now!
Kid protesters: Fulfill them now! Fulfill them now!
Prerna, in contrast, leads quietly by example.
She exemplifies courage, perseverance, and determination. Defying her parents out of a necessity to be true to herself not in an act of disrespect, Prerna refuses to back down to the unfair institutions that are thrust upon her.
She sneaks away at night to practice, spends time with a nice boy who is above her class, and escapes an arranged marriage to compete in the skating championship that was made possible partly through her enthusiasm for the sport.
When Jessica appeals to influential village matriarch Maharani (Waheeda Rehman) to support the building of a skate park on her land, she uses Prerna’s story to demonstrate how important access to skating is for the local youth.
Jessica: I know a girl who says that when she skates, she feels free. For the first time she’s allowed herself to dream, you know, and that inspires me.
That freedom she talks about is so clearly evident when Prerna skates. Her responsibilities and obligations fall away when she gets on that board. The differences and difficulties of her being a girl of a lower class with a strict father disappear.
It also strengthens Prerna’s relationship with her mother, Shanti, played by Swati Das in a thoughtful and gentle performance. When she asks her daughter why she likes to skate, Prerna says, “I feel like I belong. Like it’s something I can do. There’s no one to control me, no rules to follow. It feels like I’m gliding in the sky.”
Every girl has the right to find the thing that gives them this freedom as well as a sense of purpose and a place for them in the world. Skater Girl encompasses this message with a compelling story and moving performances.
What did you think of Skater Girl? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Skater Girl is streaming on Netflix.
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Erin Allen
Erin is a former script supervisor for film and television. She's an avid fan of middle aged actresses, dark dramas, and irreverent comedies. She loves to read actual books and X-Files fan fiction. Her other passions include pointing out feminist issues, shipping Mulder and Scully, and collecting pop culture mugs.