This series, which is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, will appeal to fans of female-centric themes as it wades through the ups and downs of life as a Gen Z university student in India.
Devika (Caroli) finds herself in the eye of an unwelcome storm when her sheltered upbringing clashes with the more open-minded approach of her fellow students at a renowned women’s college in Delhi, Matilda House (MH). It is not only her mindset and worldview but also her social strata that clashes with most of her peers.
Her wheelchair-bound hostel roommate Wallika (Damini) has her own battles to fight and seems to be entirely the wrong fit for a studious Devika, determined to work hard to win a scholarship to complete her course at the affluent institution. But gradually a small group of very diverse newcomers find themselves drawn to each other, resulting in a reluctant new friends’ gang.
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Their seniors, led by determined campaigner Paro (Sudhana), are keen to pass the free-thinking ethos of MH on, but the untimely departure of a much-loved principal (Revathi) means they are fast losing allies on a campus where the space for freedom of expression is shrinking.
With the help of supportive professors such as Handa (Das) and Dhar (Sandhu), they fight on against what they perceive as the tyranny of their new principal, Lata Bakshi (Bagga). However, there are more sinister powers at work who not only threaten their fundamental rights on campus but also the vision of access to education for all. Will these persistent bunch of girls, whose bond is still quite shaky, wake up to the real threat in time before hired goons from a neighbouring men’s college descend upon their beloved MH?
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This is a very well woven eight-part series that manages to navigate several complex issues, from the many facets of social media and tackling online trolls to the constantly evolving contours of feminism and women’s rights. But in the process of portraying these heavy-duty topics, it never loses its grip on an engaging narrative.
The outcome is that this bunch of ‘Ziddi Girls’ not only clinch a strong connection with each other, but also with the audience. It is no wonder that a second season is already in the works!