A parallel universe of women where sisterhood heals

Without resorting to melodrama, Victoria makes a strong statement about the resilience of women in a stiflingly patriarchal society

- DEEPA GAHLOT

Any woman who has been to a beauty — parlour—salon, if it's fancy—knows that when she enters, she leaves her inhibitions behind and enters a female-only universe, where she can be free for a short while and not be judged for her physical defects, real or imaginary.

She believes she will emerge with her face glowing, skin hairless, greys concealed, nails manicured, and, till the next appointment, she feels confident.

Over time, a tentative relationship develops between a customer and her preferred beautician or hair stylist. But how many care about the troubles of the woman who is plucking eyebrows, doing facials, waxing arms, or colouring hair, with a smile?

Sivaranjini’s Malayalam film, Victoria, is set in a small-town beauty parlour and shows a day in the life of the young woman who works there. The film was made with a grant for female filmmakers by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation—a budget so tiny that the young filmmaker had to work with ingenuity and tell a story that appeals to the audience and has been winning awards at festivals.