Alright, come on, come on.
Coach Gagan jumped through a lot of hoops
to get us an opportunity to play in front of the national selectors.
So please, Your Highnesses, do not embarrass us.
Go, go, go, come on.
Trisha, pass!
Here, towards the left.
Be my guest.
Slow day, Trish?
Yes!
Looks like someone fell in line.
Our pep talk worked.
You're not the one who tripped her up. It's him.
And he did it without using any pick-up lines.
Let's go, boys!
Hey…
why don't you try impressing us by playing like that once in a while?
The petition is from the faculty to let the administration know
that we stand opposed to the referendum result.
And of course, signing the petition is completely voluntary.
-So… -The "voluntary" boat has sailed.
Can we get all hands on deck, please?
Professor Handa's boat is called "The Revolution."
These are the things I miss about being a professor.
So much laughter and camaraderie, very little responsibility.
Really?
Anyway, there are student elections going on at the university.
And the candidates' speeches are slated to happen in Matilda House on the same day
as the Literary Society event.
So can we schedule the event for another day?
No!
The Literary Society poetry event
is one of the biggest highlights of Matilda House.
Eminent poets from all over India come for it.
So, no. We can't reschedule the event.
But the candidates are welcome.
Listening to poetry will open their minds.
They might end up learning a thing or two from Matilda House!
What is the theme for this year's event?
Resistance.
Wonder which idiot girls voted for this curfew.
It's so unfair to us. You can't go to the library after 7 o'clock anymore.
My rehearsals go on till 10 o'clock.
I have to leave this perfectly good hostel to become a tenant.
I'll miss the hostel shenanigans.
And most of all, I'll miss you, Devi.
Don't leave, please.
Devi!
Paro, dude…
It's been a week since the referendum was passed.
Everyone has started attending classes again.
Please, get up.
We lost the vote. Big deal!
Let it go now.
Fuck it. Let it go.
Fresher…
My TOEFL book mysteriously disappeared.
It has red tape around the border. Let me know if you see it.
Next time you need anything, don't steal it.
Just ask for it.
Papa, I didn't know you had to pay a deposit at the PG too.
We've spent too much already, no?
He walks onto the battlefield with his head held high…
because fearless is the one who has the fire to win.
If spending a little bit today
improves our tomorrow…
it isn't called spending, it's called an investment.
Now start preparing for the CAT.
Only your hard work can help Shaili and you get out of our situation.
Yes?
You're my oldest son, aren't you?
Yes, Papa.
-Hey, my child? -Yes, Uncle?
-Papa! -Hello, Uncle.
This is Vandana.
-Hi. -Hi.
She's moving here to prepare for CAT.
Matilda House, right?
-Yes. -I've seen you around.
Uncle, don't worry.
I keep an eye on them, and they'll keep an eye on her.
They all know you!
Hello? Papa?
Hello?
What is up with this fucking fucked up network!
Fuck it.
Wally, think, think… I'll just call him again.
-Shiku, can you hear me? -Papa, Papa!
-Yes, I can hear you. -Shiku?
-Hello? -Can you hear me?
-Shiku? -What is wrong with this network?
Shit, man, what do I do?
Okay, let's just try one more time…
Use my phone.
It's getting full network.
-Papa? -Shiku?
-Shiku, my child? -Papa, I--
-Whose number is this? -Yes, it's…
my roommate Devika's number.
I see. Roommate…
There's no network on my phone!
So shall I call on this number henceforth?
Yes, you can save Devika's number…
Okay, what is her name again?
-Devika. -Yes.
Have you eaten yet?
Wish this was the Boston sky…
and I was with my Boston boy.
But here we are in the loser parking lot
of this toll booth of a college.
I know what I want.
Triple fudge sundae.
I know what I want.
I want to meet Nysa.
The influencer.
Hello?
Did you forget?
Hey, you asked what you could do to make it up to me.
Because of INF-CON?
Babe, I don't know her. What do you want me to do?
Arjun Malhotra does though, right?
Arjun's family owns MoshCloth.
-Correct? -Right…
Which is Nysa's first ever big brand collab.
-Correct? -Sure…
So she's naturally weighed down by their clothes and by obligation!
Whatever you ask Arjun to do, he will do it.
Because…
sex.
-Love. -Whatever.
And whatever Arjun tells Nysa to do, she will do.
Because…?
Obligation.
So when he calls you from Boston tonight--
Oh my God, please stop before you completely creep me out.
I don't know if I wanna get involved in all this.
Hey, Trish… Please. Please, please, please--
Okay, okay, relax.
I'll ask Arjun, but no promises.
Fine.
Guys.
Guys!
I just quit Stagelights.
Shit.
Before the results for ExperiManch are out?
"He walks onto the battlefield with his head held high,
because fearless is the one who has the fire to win."
Where's the fire? What fire is she talking about?
What the… Oh my freakin' God!
Aatish Raina is coming to our college.
I fucking love his poetry, I love his work!
Hi!
You wanna come?
Okay!
Bye!
When did you two become friends?
Long story. I'll tell you the short version some other time.
So, that's the boyfriend?
Long distance sucks real hard.
Can't wait for this year to end so I can bounce outta here.
Well, seeing the way you were playing that defender,
I think they'll ask you to pack up and bounce much sooner.
The only thing bouncing is gonna be your ass when I whoop it.
Really?
Really.
Trisha?
-That's my mom. -You'll be late for practice! Again!
And tell your friend to use the front door next time.
Like normal people.
Wait… I wanna see this face again.
I thought someone said something about a one-night stand, right?
That's for being a smart-ass. Now, go!
That thing I said about your hockey earlier? Not true.
Go!
Hi, Nysa.
Babe, I got two minutes. Tops, three. What do you wanna ask me?
How do I get there?
Simple. Get to 100k. What else?
It isn't that simple, Nysa.
I do whatever the algorithm says,
I put trending tracks, relevant hashtags, but…
-Nothing is working-- -Fuck the algo.
-What? -Fuck the algo.
What's your "X" factor?
I mean, what is that one thing only you can do?
Identify your originality.
And stick to it.
Think about that, and do it.
Okay?
Keep hustling.
You won't believe what piece of shit is coming to college!
The referendum was bad, but this is even worse.
-What the fuck? -I know.
We can't let this happen.
No, Ma'am. Mayank Asthana in Matilda House…
No way! Please understand
that he is against Matilda House's culture and all of us.
He calls us "vulgar, immoral girls" and God knows what else. He's…
He's a misogynistic asshole.
Sit.
Sorry, Ma'am.
He brings out this kind of language in me.
Paro, the University Election candidates
have been campaigning in Matilda House for the last 60 years.
And Matilda House is the only girls' college
that participates in the election every year.
How can we stop anyone from campaigning without reason?
But there is a reason, Ma'am.
It's Mayank Asthana.
He was vocally against the "Break the Curfew" campaign in my first year,
he tried to suppress our voices, attacked, assaulted, and harassed women!
How can we let him into our campus?
-This is our safe space. -I understand.
But if we stop anyone,
it'll create a new controversy for Matilda House.
And we can't afford to have that.
So leave it, Paro. Let it go.
The drama unfolding at Matilda House for the last few days is not yet over.
Strike Queen Paro Sarna has declared war.
Student leader Paro wants to stop Mayank Asthana
from campaigning at Matilda House.
Stand your ground, buddy!
We are with you!
Your support is my strength!
-Hello, Mr. Sunder Singh. -Your photo is in the papers.
Shubhs…
Shubhs, come here.
What…
Are you serious?
Bro, this is huge!
Now Bakshi will have to listen to us, dude.
So proud of you, Paro.
Today marks the third day of Paro's hunger strike at Matilda House.
Paro is striking so that PICA candidate Mayank--
I don't understand it, Manish. A hunger strike?
In my whole career, I haven't spoken to the press
-as much as I have done at Matilda House-- -Lata, relax.
Remember our dream, Lata?
The dream of establishing a world-class university in India?
One that can rival Ivy League colleges such as Harvard, Oxford, and MIT.
Matilda House can get there.
I have the contacts, I have the resources,
and you have what it takes to fix this institution.
The press, the referendum, these stubborn girls… This is all temporary.
You just focus on the bigger picture.
Enough!
What do you think? How long will our Paro Madam last?
I give her one more day. Max two.
Who wants to make it interesting?
Of course, me. I give her minimum six days.
No chance.
And if I win another bet, then another meeting with Nysa--
No meeting. 500 bucks. Take it or leave it.
While you all shamelessly smack your lips and place bets,
don't forget she's a human being. Just look at her.
Well, only a human can help another human, Wally.
-Come on. -And if her strike
enables this poor girl to earn half a cup of coffee,
then what is your problem?
-Seriously? -Yes!
-Hi, Devika. -Hi, Devi.
Notes.
Listen.
We're placing bets on how long the hunger strike lasts.
What do you say, Devi?
I don't know about her.
If it was me, I'd stretch it to ten days.
You know, I did a dry fast for ten days so that my Papa would
let me come to Matilda House.
A dry fast?
She means no food and water for ten days.
Holy shit, dude. How did you survive?
Mummy says that if you make up your mind about something…
then you can do anything.
-Sorry, Ma'am… -It's okay, let's go.
-Dhruv? -Mumma…
In three more moves, it'll be checkmate.
One knight to B5 then knight to C7 is check-mate.
-Listen to me. -I didn't play well.
Don't run away like this next time.
-Okay? -Yes.
Mumma gets very worried, my child.
Kutty.
-Easy win. -Come along, son.
-Bye, Dhruv. -Bye.
Come along.
You're doing this hunger strike because you love Matilda House, correct?
And you want to defend Matilda House, right?
But this is not helping the girls of Matilda House at all.
Owing to its image and rankings,
Matilda House receives a scholarship fund every year.
Thanks to which girls like you, Devika Kumari and Rani Chahng can study here.
If we keep getting negative publicity like this,
we will not get a scholarship fund this year.
The strike of a single Paro…
can hinder the education of ten other Paros.
Because of one speech by Mayank Asthana…
are you willing to sacrifice the future of so many girls?
I won't tell you the moves.
I am not going to tell you the moves.
Move. Move, it's your turn.
Keep moving.
It's your turn.
Your move.
You've beaten me enough times. Now go home with Kutty.
We'll do this later.
That's quite enough, Dhruv. Let's go? Okay?
-I'll remember the board and… -Let's go.
Don't touch the pieces.
Come, Bisht Junior.
I'm here because of my father.
He heard about the strike.
He asked me to wish you all the best.
This is amazing.
Please convey my gratitude, this means so much.
Sure.
But you didn't place any bets, right?
I heard. Two days, four days, seven days…
I really admire you, Paro. Really.
You're not an online warrior or an armchair activist.
You really fight for what you believe in--
Yes, but Shubhra and I won't be here next year.
And then AA will also leave the year after.
I want someone among the first years to keep fighting this fight--
I made a promise to Papa. I won't be involved in any sort of trouble.
This is trouble.
The Prashant Bisht?
He asked his own daughter to stay out of trouble?
Paro, do you know the cost of activism?
If Papa calls me five minutes late, I get scared. It's worse than a nightmare.
Who knows which call could be his last?
And all this accomplishes nothing.
Those industrialists are still destroying the forests
my father is risking his life to protect.
And I'm sorry to say this, but
probably Mayank Asthana will come to Matilda House.
There is no benefit to being stubborn, Paro.
I've seen the consequences of getting tangled up in the problems of others.
This is not for me. I'm sorry.
Who said this is not your problem, fresher?
What do you keep writing and crumpling up, Wally?
Your papa isn't here
-to catch your love letters-- -Shut up, woman.
-You know nothing. -Then tell me?
I write poetry. And it rhymes and sucks simultaneously.
Could you use smaller words, Wally?
My poems suck. It sucks!
So why don't you submit it to the poetry event?
"Sucks" means bad, terrible, eww, yuck.
If someone reads this shitty shit, I swear I'll be so fucking embarrassed.
Brother, brother, wait up…
Thank you.
Now you have no choice but to play well today.
So mature.
Desire.
Desire drives everything.
And that's why this time we will explore desire
in all its myriad forms.
Don't overthink it.
Pick up whatever you like.
And let all your suppressed wants and desires out. Without inhibitions.
Let's see how far we can go with this.
And friends, please, let's keep our clothes on.
Only five freshers remain.
This is your time to shine.
Grab the object, grab the opportunity.
Ouch!
Oh! Oh!
Oh!
Desire isn't so complicated.
Sometimes a back scratch is all you need.
ExperiManch is about breaking the rules.
Only she could get it.
By thinking out of the box.
Well done, Vandana.
You can… switch that off now.
Thank you.
If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this.
What the fuck does that mean?
That this… is heaven.
-Borrow something if you like. -Really?
See?
Wow!
You look hot! And I've literally never thought of this combo.
Take a pic, please?
Actually, take many pics, okay?
You're super nice for doing this.
Not really, you're still writing our group assignment.
-Listen. -Yeah?
What do you think it means if a guy isn't responding to your DMs?
Arjun isn't replying to your DMs?
Must be the time difference, right? He must be sleeping.
It's not Arjun.
Then whose DMs are you sliding into?
Parth. But it's just sex, okay?
Fuckboy.
I had one of those.
No way, small-town girl.
Excuse me?
You think only big city people get horny?
Everyone gets horny.
-Seriously? -Anyway.
Are you and Arjun in an open relationship?
I mean… I'm pretty sure he's not keeping it in his pants in Boston either.
We're in a "don't ask, don't tell, don't think" relationship.
-Listen. -Dude.
Girls from good homes do not double-text fuckboys.
This is an old recording, right? '71?
Madam Principal. Please come in.
Well identified.
You know your music.
Samar did.
My husband.
He went away but left me with his passions.
Car accident. Dhruv was two years old.
I'm sorry.
You must be wondering why I'm here.
I think I have some idea.
I spoke to Paro.
Told her that Matilda House's funding
could decrease or even stop because of the strike.
But she's still on strike.
Public funds are diminishing every year anyway,
but if controversies like these continue,
we won't get the private grants I've applied for either.
In a college whose foundation rests on debate and revolution,
is it a good idea to stop its students from voicing their justified anger?
So you're saying I should succumb to blackmail?
No. But you tried to emotionally blackmail her as well.
That wasn't blackmail, it was the truth. The future of Matilda House is in danger.
And its present? What about that?
Mr. Nitin. My job is to run this college.
I will do whatever it takes to do that.
Talk to Paro.
Maybe she would listen if it came from you.
Lata Ma'am.
When you raise students to have a mind of their own…
it comes with a risk that one day they will actually use it.
And that day we should not punish them, but congratulate them instead.
Mayank Asthana? On Matilda House walls?
-This trash can't be put here. Remove it. -Paro?
-Who gave you permission? -Stay there.
No PICA here.
Paro, I don't have a good feeling about this.
-Lie back down. -Remove this and get out of here.
Can't you hear? Get out of here!
-Please, Paro, let it go. -Go and lie down.
-Get out of here! -Paro, no!
-Can't you hear me? -No!
Do you get it? Do you?
Don't you get it?
-Paro! -Can't you understand?
Trisha, help! Help!
-He has a gun! -What's happening here?
-Stop! -Guard!
-Paro! -Paro, Paro…
-Paro! -Paro, can you hear us?
-Help! Help! -Water!
-Paro! -Can you hear me?