I want to flip male-driven narratives with women

Victoria, the quietly powerful debut by Angamaly-native Sivaranjini J, is set almost entirely within the four walls of a modest beauty parlour in her hometown. Through its all-women ensemble and mostly single-location structure, the film becomes a delicate, immersive portrait of everyday intimacies: women talking, working, laughing, arguing, in a space carved out entirely for themselves. After a warmly received premiere at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), the film reaches global audiences at the ongoing 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), standing as the only Indian entry in the Asian New Talent competition.

Developed under the Kerala State Film Development Corporation’s (KSFDC) Women’s Empowerment scheme, Victoria was written and directed by Sivaranjini as she was pursuing her PhD at IIT Bombay. A graduate of NID Ahmedabad with a background in editing, she brings to the film a deep attentiveness to texture, space, and unsaid emotions. In this interview, she reflects on the film’s festival rejections, unexpected breakthroughs, what it means to create without the burden of industry expectations, and more.

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