Dada Shaikh

Paru Parvathy (2025) is one of those films that sneaks up on you, not with a bang, but with this weird, haunting energy that lingers way after the credits roll. Dada Shaikh really goes all in with the storytelling—nothing feels spoon-fed or packaged. The movie centers around Paru, a woman who basically refuses to play by anyone’s rules but her own. She’s stubborn, sure, but also ridiculously clever, and you can’t help but root for her even when she’s being a bit of a menace. The town she lives in is a character in its own right—dusty, loud, full of rumors, and somehow still charming. There’s this constant tug-of-war between tradition and rebellion, with Paru stirring up trouble in the best way possible. Her relationship with Parvathy? Messy, raw, sometimes painfully real. They fight, they laugh, they break things (sometimes even each other’s hearts), but it never feels forced or melodramatic. The supporting cast actually brings plenty of flavor too—no cardboard cutouts, thank god. Underneath it all, there’s this biting commentary on how women are boxed in, told to fit these neat little molds. Paru, though? She’s not having any of it. The movie’s visuals are wild at times—dreamy, gritty, sometimes almost surreal. You walk away questioning what you just watched, but in a good way. If you’re looking for something that actually challenges you a bit, Paru Parvathy isn’t a bad place to start.