The first scene was shot like a horror film not to subvert genres, but to place us in Sami’s POV and how she sees the world when she is in full control. As Sami starts to lose control, we employed a more mature and patient approach to the cinematography. I personally really love when the camera is observatory. It was important to me to keep the camera on a tripod for nearly all the scenes, minimising complex camera movements and quick cuts. This allowed the focus to remain on the characters, who drove the action in each moment. This is because I wanted us to be in their world, right there with them without making them aware of our presence. We chose neutral overcast lightning to help keep things embedded in reality.
This static choice enhanced the impact of the stylised chaos and fast cuts in the montage scene. We were excited to recreate a classic 90s makeover montage inspired by films like The Princess Diaries and Clueless, while subtly exploring themes of beauty and its potential role in social isolation. The lighter and darker foundations served as a significant element to highlight that theme, grounding us in the reality many Indian women face—the social isolation within the Indian community that often results from having darker skin like mine. Initially, we captured Sami choosing between the lighter and darker foundations in a WIDE shot, but we felt the emotional impact was lacking. So, we decided to film a pick-up shot using a CLOSE-UP to better immerse the audience in the experience of an Indian girl.
For the Gonorrhea rap scene, I intentionally chose a shallow focus on the area where Sami would be, emphasising her inability to get her sister’s attention—and, by extension, ours as well.
Coming-of-age often involves feelings of isolation, so a lot of the framing and blocking for Sami sees her on the outside looking in and often in boxed silhouettes. The final scene was initially intended to be shot in another corner of Jiya’s room, but we realised that the walk-in closet was a much more impactful option. This choice allowed us to single out Sami, framing her alone as she pivots away from the norm.
The color palette for Sami’s room featured deep reds and mustard yellows, reflecting her gory interests, while Jiya’s room contrasted with a lush and playful mix of magentas, sky blues, and whites. We aimed to avoid traditional and explicit associations of colors with femininity and masculinity, instead subtly incorporating baby pinks, blues, purples, and yellows throughout Jiya’s room and wardrobe. Our Colourist, Ted Deacey did a wonderful job amplifying the existing tones; we deepened the reds a little and added some grain for texture – Sami isn’t a clean-cut put-together person and neither is her perspective.
Marcus Cropp (Cinematographer), Tiffany Dias (Production Designer) and their respective teams did a terrific job at bringing this visual style to life.