Breaking all barriers Look, our sisters are out!
On every street, at every corner Look, our sisters are out!
Raise your voice! Raise your voice!
-Raise your voice! Raise your voice! -Raise your voice!
Raise your voice! Raise your voice!
Look, our sisters are out!
On every street, at every corner Look, our sisters are out!
Till 60 to 70 years ago,
girls had to break down the cages of their homes to even attend university.
And now, it's us!
We have had to break the cages of our hostel.
-But we did it! -We did it!
We finally did it!
Now, there is no curfew at the Matilda House Hostel!
Tell the world, let it be known…
Freedom is ours to own!
We were fire back then.
But did you all see Paro's cute braids?
Okay, girls, we have one week for voting, right?
And to save all the hard work put in by our Matilda House seniors,
we have one week.
But most importantly, to save our freedom, we just have this one week.
Yeah.
So, you all tell me.
Just because we're girls, should we be locked inside our hostels?
Will you vote for yourselves or to turn the hostel into a jail?
-They made us miss our break for this? -Such a waste of time.
Can't believe you guys can't leave when you like.
Yes, it's unfair, right?
If they want to keep the girls safe,
they should enforce a curfew in the boys' hostel.
-Won't that make more sense? -Exactly.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
Guys, it's just a matter of a few months!
Hey, day scholar! You don't even stay in the hostel!
What do you know about hostel life and curfews?
It's not even relevant to you.
You're right, Vandana. But you have to understand,
it's not just the hostelers who are voting.
Day scholars are also voting, which is why all of us have to be in this together.
Yes.
Exactly. Day scholars can take selfies at night at India Gate,
while we are required to get back to the hostel by 7:00 p.m.
and hang on the hostel walls like somber portraits.
-How is that fair? -Exactly.
You're talking as if your cat lost all her hair.
If the hostel shuts early, my parents won't nag me incessantly.
If they shut up, I'm happy.
Guys, let's use our brains a little.
Today it's about curfew timings, tomorrow it'll be about our clothes.
And then, they'll decide what we should think, how we should behave,
how we should live. I mean, we need to stop it right now.
I heard that if we don't vote for the 7:00 p.m. curfew,
the hostel will shut down.
No way!
Calm down! That is not going to happen.
-Just focus on the vote. -This is not meant to scare you,
but it'll be scary if we don't take it seriously.
But we haven't come here to have fun. We've come here to study.
Bakshi Ma'am is right. I don't care if seven becomes six.
I don't care either.
But we'll still be able to order food, right?
Because I get the munchies after a doobie.
-Yes. -I agree.
Okay, girls, jokes aside, we cannot take this vote lightly.
-I have already said that this is-- -I can understand that you must be
feeling very emotional right now.
Some things warrant being emotional, Mrs. Bakshi.
This is not the Lady Scholar's College that you--
Hence, the vote!
I'm not forcing the students to do anything.
You're simply manipulating them.
There are rumors that the hostel will shut down.
It can.
Wow!
So, you want to scare them
into voting for this regressive referendum.
This referendum is the solution to a very big problem.
I… I'm sorry.
I completely disagree with you. And if you'd kindly excuse me.
You all can call me progressive, regressive, aggressive,
or whatever you want.
The education of these girls should not stop, that's it.
Parents should feel peace of mind when they send their girls here, not worry.
Everything else reeks of privilege.
Those who have never tasted freedom,
tend to think of the fight for freedom as a frivolous hobby.
An 11:00 p.m. curfew is not a privilege, but their right, Mrs. Bakshi.
-May I take your leave? -Yes.
Thank you.
Hi!
Now you can finally stop posting stories asking for a pass.
Are you sure?
Free notes for a month. Actually, make that two.
Done.
Thank you!
-Good afternoon, students. -Good afternoon, Ma'am.
Turn off the light?
Turn off the light…
five minutes…
Guess who's going to INF-CON!
Hi, Wally. How are you, Wally?
Can I come in, Wally?
Hi, Tabby. We are friends, Tabby.
We're so happy, Tabby!
Did you reach 10k followers?
I wish!
But Mom always said that one day all this studying would come in handy.
And today is that day!
-Okay? -In exchange for my fabulous notes,
Trisha gave me this. Look!
INF-CON people need a video. And mine's going to be lit AF.
Will you help me?
Me? Help? Really?
Yes.
This influencer I follow,
made such an amazing video using his wheelchair.
And his transitions were--
You want my wheelchair for a dumb video?
Are you totally shameless?
I…
Sorry, Wallika. I didn't mean to hurt you like that.
You scared me to death!
Good. This is for barging into my room.
Uninvited, unannounced.
Now, tell me what needs to be done.
Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Shit.
I've planned everything. Okay?
We'll do three looks and three transitions.
And we'll shoot it in the college itself.
Vandana!
Can I move into your room?
Is that a yes or a no?
Can you just listen to me for two minutes?
What are you doing?
Vocal exercises.
And you want to leave the ground floor?
Mad or what?
Freshers never get the ground floor.
You're very lucky.
Lucky how?
I don't want to live near the seniors.
And Wallika? She's so cool, man.
So she'll do whatever she pleases?
Fuck it.
Just get permission from the admin and become my roomie.
Really?!
Oh, shit! I have to get ready.
-Will you come with me? -Where?
Why is this so slow?
It's modern theater.
-And you actually like this? -Devi, later please.
Six o'clock!
There he is.
Him? He's thinner than the lentil soup they serve in the mess.
He may be light, but don't take him lightly.
Noor Kazmi calls him her mentor.
Thank you so much for coming and watching our play.
A small announcement before you leave.
Next week we start auditions for ExperiManch's new batch.
So, please come for that. Get your friends too.
Some chit-chat over tea, maybe some food for thought too?
Thank you!
-Good job, man! -Thank you.
-Open auditions next week. -Thank you.
Please let your friends know.
Hi, Bhasin.
She know.
Auditions are next week.
Please come if you're interested.
Yes, most certainly.
See you.
-Thank you, friends. Thank you. -"Yes, most certainly"?
Who am I, the boomer uncle from across town?
But he said to come for auditions.
For him, I would leave Stagelights.
-For this guy? Really? -Come now, Devi.
You guys wanna dance?
-Maybe later. -No.
Okay if I dance with you?
If you can keep up.
-I saw you. -What?
Before you walked over.
I saw you.
Come on…
A guy would have to be blind to not notice you dancing.
By the way, I'm Parth.
I have a boyfriend, dancer boy.
So, this… didn't happen.
Dude, just chill.
I told you my name, didn't ask you out on a date.
I'm Trish.
Trisha. Wake up.
Mom! Stop! Hangover!
Real hangovers happen post 30. Now, please wake up.
Who's this boy you were dancing with last night?
What?
Check your phone.
Now that I have your attention, please wake up.
Otherwise you'll be late for college again.
-Spread the word, girls. -Thank you.
Paro?
Here's this week's reading for our gathering.
Do you wanna give her a chance?
But, sir, how can you say this?
-Come on. -What is the rule of the gathering?
When you want to change somebody's point of view,
-you need to… -Engage with them.
I know.
-Good morning, Ma'am. -Good morning.
Sit.
Thank you.
Thank you for removing that protest band.
Ma'am, I had no intention of disrespecting you.
I heard you addressing the students in the common room.
As a Student Body President,
you are provoking them to vote against the referendum.
You believe in the democratic process, don't you, Paro?
Yes, Ma'am. But I wasn't provoking them.
I was just telling them how hard we worked to remove this curfew.
Don't interfere with this process, Paro.
Let the students' voices reach me.
Let them decide what they want.
Of course, Ma'am. Thank you.
So… for this audition exercise,
when your name is called out,
come forward,
pick up any object from the table,
and use it in your monologue.
Now this exercise has only one objective.
You, your text, and the object
aren't three different things. They are one.
-Arif! -All right, auditioners!
First up is Rochak.
Yes.
To be…
or not to be.
Louder, please.
That is the question.
Whether it's nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune,
or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them.
To die,
to sleep, no more.
Thank you.
Next up is Vandana.
I'm my own friend.
My own worst enemy too.
Dirty of body…
pure of mind.
I'm calm but…
chaos is me too.
A lit torch during a storm… that's me.
I, one helpless woman,
am enough to defeat a hundred.
And consider this…
a public service announcement.
Next, Safeena.
-See you day after. -Yeah, bye.
-Bye. All the best. -All the best.
-Vandana, right? -Yeah…
-The text you used-- -Mashaal, by--
-Ghayal. -Yeah.
I thought I was the only person who had read that play.
-Good work today. -Thank you.
-See you. -See you.
Shall we go, bro?
Tabassum. TabbyFashn.
I'm sorry, your name's not on the list.
-But I have a pass. -It says Trisha Seth.
Yeah, so she's my friend. She gave it to me.
Sorry, these are not transferable.
It's okay. Do you have 10,000 followers?
Sorry, Ma'am, you'll have to step out.
What happened? What are you watching?
Have a look yourself.
This is broken, what's so difficult to understand?
This.
Look, Trisha. The team needs a center-forward.
And you want the sports quota admission.
So now, either you either stop this pretense and come clean,
or I can show this video to the principal.
And she will right you herself.
Now, you'll either play hockey
or say goodbye to this college.
What do you say, Pankaja?
Fuck it.
Spread the word, all of you.
-You talking to everyone? -Yes, I am.
This is a flier for God's sake!
-"Rich Babe Vodka"? -Which babe vodka?
Oh my God. It's acetone.
Better than nothing.
Please pass me the cup.
This party is a flop.
What's wrong with it?
Free drinks, unlimited chips refills, a clean bathroom to throw up in.
This party is more than they deserve.
-Looks like they're having fun. -Yeah.
Screw fun! I'm worried if they'll vote correctly or not.
Mary Jane in Delhi?
Thought I smelled something.
Thank you.
Hey, are you okay?
What happened?
See that first year?
Hi…
She's Prashant Bisht's daughter.
Bisht, who? The environmental hero?
What are you saying?!
-Fuck, yeah. -I know.
Dude, I'm so sorry.
I didn't know the pass was non-transferable.
Okay, how can I make it up to you?
Let it go. It's not your fault.
I say it's INF-CON's loss.
Because TabbyFashn is amazing.
Cheers.
Dude?
Your hand, wasn't it broken?
Long story.
Can't even tell you in short.
-Hi! -Hi!
How are you?
-Hi. -Hi.
Hi.
I'll be back.
-Hi. -Hi.
So, ExperiManch, huh?
Heard you've been auditioning for them?
If you get in, will you leave Stagelights?
No, I was just… trying…
Can't do both.
-Have fun tonight? -Bye.
-I'll speak to this fresher… -There she goes again!
I was just leaving--
I just wanted to speak to you about sex-ed night.
I should not have shown you the film without your consent.
I'm sorry.
-But, about the referendum vote… -Paro!
because I heard in the common room, you had some thoughts--
-No vote talk. -I was just talking to her.
Hi. Have fun.
Eat some fries.
Come on. Let's go, please.
Hey, Tabby!
-Hi! Come here! -Hi!
-Hi. -Hi.
Girls, sorry for the interruption,
but look at the time.
It's 9:00 p.m.
If the hostel curfew timings are reversed,
then we won't be able to do all this.
Forget this, we won't even be able to go to the library after 7:00 p.m.
No work, no play, no life.
So, this vote isn't just for the curfew.
It is to see if they can suppress us or not.
So, you tell me. Will we be suppressed?
No!
Will we let our rights, our freedom, go?
No!
Screw the curfew!
-Screw the curfew! -Screw the curfew!
Screw the curfew!
Girls, I need to go pee-pee.
She needs to pee!
Yeah.
You're okay? Comfortable?
-Go on. -Thank you.
I can pee by myself.
-Right. Okay. -We'll be outside.
Yeah.
Shit.
I don't want to hear it,
but, sis, you're a very loud pisser!
Oh, my God.
Life rocks, you guys!
Are we officially each other's best buddies now?
At least you buddies have seen my chuddies.
Also, I'm done.
There you go.
Hey, my new roomie!
-Devi! -Your roomie?
-You don't know? -No…
She is moving into my room.
-Really? -Correct.
-Is she? -Yep.
Vandana…
What's wrong?
Hey!
You can take the bigger bed, Devi!
Good evening, Ma'am.
What's wrong, my child?
I came here to study so far away from home and…
my roommate here doesn't sleep and plays loud music.
Ma'am, it's gotten very hard to study.
That's why…
I just wanted to change my room
and it turned into a whole thing at Paro's PG party.
-My friend-- -Paro's PG party?
Yes, Ma'am, about the…
ref…
-Referen-- -Referendum.
Yes, she told us to vote against it.
I see.
A party each day till the vote.
It's compulsory for the first years to attend.
But, Ma'am, I don't care about these parties.
In fact, I didn't even want to go.
Everyone there calls me Snitch-ika.
Oh!
So, you're that Devika.
Ma'am, sorry…
-Because of me, the college-- -Devika…
you did nothing wrong.
Ma'am, can you please talk to Mrs. Madan and…
have my room changed?
Talk to your roommate first.
Everyone learns to adjust in college and hostel life.
Wally, I have no issue with you.
If I don't sleep, my brain doesn't work.
Then I can't study. The songs you listen to are too loud.
No mind, okay?
Please understands?
Wallika…
I have no issues with you personally.
It's just that I need some quiet to study and…
What is your problem?
That I'm different from you? That I'm on this wheelchair?
Whatever it is, just say it to my face,
instead of telling people behind my back!
If you stop your whining for one second and look around you,
then you'll see.
Everyone has problems!
Everyone is away from home and everyone is struggling!
And it's fucking hot!
I don't even want to be here!
What a fucking…
I'm done with her.
Go wherever you wanna go. Do whatever you wanna do.
Just be away from me. It's suffocating.
DID YOU CREATE ANOTHER SCENE?
GET LOST
OKAY, SORRY TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED?
Thank you.
Cone ice-cream.
But with the cone and ice-cream separately.
-Thank you, bro. -Dhruv.
Come on! From "Uncle Manish" to "bro"?
I've got a promotion.
Bro.
Manish, what you've done for us, I will never forget--
Don't be silly, Lata. What are friends for?
I heard about your referendum.
Bold move.
In the name of feminism, girls nowadays
have forgotten all about discipline, studies, their values.
And will girls like these let the referendum pass?
Several students at the hostel are quite concerned
about their studies and the hostel's image.
Dhruv, wipe your mouth.
But 70% of the students are day scholars,
to whom the hostel timings make no difference.
But they do care if it maligns the image of Matilda House.
Which is why I have included them in the voting.
But you could have just passed the referendum yourself.
And earn the moniker of Hitler in the first week itself?
And what if the vote goes against you?
It won't.
What the actual fuck?
I know she's intentionally getting the day scholars to vote too
because the curfew doesn't affect them directly.
But she can't just pull up the voting day like this without any reason.
She can.
-Because she is the principal. -But, sir, you and Handa Ma'am can do…
You and Handa Ma'am can do something, right?
Paro, the hostel curfew timings will not be reversed.
Matilda House and its students won't let that happen.
Trust Matilda House, trust the girls.
But, sir, what if I go and speak with her--
Give this to Professor Siddiqui on your way out, please.
Thank you.
THE REFERENDUM VOTE IS TODAY!
The referendum vote is not on Friday, it's today.
So, go vote right now. Move it! Get up!
The referendum vote isn't on Friday, it's today!
-Go vote now! -Get up. Come on, guys!
-Let's go, let's go! -Come on!
Girls, the referendum vote is not on Friday, it's today.
Come on, go vote now!
The referendum vote is not on Friday, it's today. Let's go.
Go, go. I want you there now.
By the way, I didn't think that you'd care to vote.
If it means shorter hockey practice, I do.
Makes sense.
Vandu, we'll miss class.
Devi, can't you miss one class for such an important curfew?
Hello, my TabbyFashn followers.
Today we're going to cast our first ever vote.
And here I am with my friends!
-Say hi! -Hello!
Come on! Come on, come on, come on!
Come on, Rani!
Pass the ball! Pass it!
Trisha, Trisha, Trisha.
-Pass it… -Trisha!
-Trisha, take it! -Oh, no!
-She thinks she's a heroine! -Seriously!
Do I have to send you a separate invitation to play the game?
Yeah, maybe.
-I swear I'll-- -Rani!
The referendum results are in.
See you.
How did this happen?
We lost by just 20 votes.
Mr. Sunder?
So now what?
We have to shut ourselves in the hostel after 7:00 p.m. again?
Didn't you get the circular?
Circular? I live in the hostel. You know me!
Curfew is on from today.
Hostel gates shut at seven o'clock.
But where am I supposed to go at this hour?
Sorry, child. Call the warden.
-I can't help you. -But…
Mrs. Madan is saying that the hostel is already closed.
Then how will we go back?
I still can't believe this.
What do we do, guys?
I'm so confused.
I think we took Bakshi too lightly.
You know, I always had a bad feeling about her, but…
I didn't think she'd go this far.
I think she did this on purpose.
Of course, she did it on purpose!
You said to give Bakshi a chance.
You said to trust Matilda House.
Now what?