Alanktrita Srivastava‘s, Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, was one film I was looking forward to because the director never disappoints when it comes to making entertaining and hard-hitting feminist films. And with the cast consisting of absolutely talented faces like Konkona Sen Sharma, Bhumi Pednekar, Vikrant Massey, Amol Parashar, Kubbra Sait, Karan Kundra and Aamir Bashir among others, you can be sure of some great performances. The story surrounds the lives of two cousins who are critical of each other at first, but slowly bond over a few secrets they come to share. It is a tale of their struggle to live life on their own terms and battle the various prejudices, inequality and insecurities they are faced with in life. Produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor, the film released on Netflix over the weekend.

If you haven’t caught it yet, here are 5 reasons why you should:

Konkona Sen Sharma

Konkona Sen Sharma steals the show every single time she comes on screen, doesn’t she? Her very subtle and nuanced emotions play out so effortlessly in the film. And she looks so stunning in each frame, you can’t help but fall in love with her character, Dolly. A middle-class, working woman, she struggles to maintain the facade of a happy marriage and situations push her to alter her moral compass from time to time. Yet, you empathise with her struggle to find her voice and live her desires.

Bhumi Pednekar

Bhumi is a force to be reckoned with and this performance of hers is again proof of that! She plays the small town girl, timid yet rigid in making a life in the city and living on her own terms. Kitty is relatable in a lot of ways to so many women out there who have no one but themselves to look out for them at most times. She is starry-eyed about romance and love, and Bhumi, as Kitty, won me over with her range of emotions in the film and is such a stunner on screen!

The beautifully-written characters

Honestly, the stars of the show are the writing and the characters! From the bond between two sisters who are evolving and growing to having them be equally flawed as much as beautiful, it’s the realistic portrayal of human bonds and emotions that bind the film together. Be it Neelima Azim‘s wonderful cameo, or Kubbra Sait’s feisty performance, they all hit the right notes! Same goes for the men in the film. From Konkona’s husband played by Aamir Bashir, to Amol Parashar, Vikrant Massey or Karan Kundra, they all bring a balance and add more to the plot in their own ways.

The important questions raised

The director of films like Lipstick Under My Burkha, Alankrita is known for the hard-hitting questions she brings to the fore-front in her films, and this film is no different. From marriage and parenting and questioning the ideas of virginity, sexual desires, infidelity and gender, it might seem like there are too many conversations packed into one film, but it plays out so seamlessly and naturally in the film that it doesn’t overpower in any way.

The portrayal of romance

When you show romance that is against the norm in some way, it is a task to keep it authentic and real and this film does that to the T. On one side, it’s a middle-class couple trying to conceal and fix their crumbling marriage, and her finding solace in someone very unexpected. On the other side, it’s a small-town girl’s journey to finding love for the first time and growing up from there on. Also, cannot not mention the electrifying chemistry between Amol Parashar and Konkona Sen Sharma and Vikrant Massey and Bhumi Pednekar!

I’m sure these are reasons enough to catch the film ASAP!