BENGALURU: Now on Netflix, “Skater Girl” starts out with a winning premise — a coming-of-age story about realizing your dreams and persevering against all odds. Prerna, a teenage girl from a rural village in Rajasthan, India, has everything going against her — societal shackles and a poverty-ridden life that doesn’t allow her to dream or desire.
That is, until she is introduced to a skateboard.
British-Indian Jessica arrives in the remote village to find her roots and forms an attachment with the village kids. She introduces them to the world of skating, thus giving a new meaning to Prerna’s life. Skating becomes the one thing that Prerna feels “belongs” to her; there are no rules and no one to control her.
It’s a thing of joy to see Prerna’s exhilaration as she zips through the village or sneaks away at night to practice. It’s also heartwarming to witness a world that permits Prerna to dream and defy societal and familial expectations.
Apart from a handful of these scenes, there is little in “Skater Girl” that makes for compelling storytelling or performances.
The White Savior trope seems to play out, helped along by the fact that Jessica has neither expertise in nor passion for skating but nonetheless makes it her life’s mission to build a skatepark for the village kids. In an interview, the filmmakers explained that Jessica’s character only brings out a natural talent in the children, but this narrative fails to translate on-screen.
Scenes in which Jessica navigates the bureaucracy to mobilize resources lack depth or conviction.
The movie skirts around important and relevant issues. There are ample mentions of caste discrimination, but the filmmakers don’t delve into it. It’s simply a matter that everyone is aware of but no says anything about, which, given the recent spate of caste-based incidents in India, is ludicrous to believe or even comprehend.
Loosely based on the inspiring story behind India’s first rural skatepark in Madhya Pradesh, “Skater Girl” leaves the viewer wanting more. Everyone wants to root for the underdog, but “Skater Girl” doesn’t soar — it falls flat.
