Delving into the grim history of India-Pakistan partition, Srijit Mukherji's Rajkahini is woven around the line of partition that runs through a brothel housing 11 women, each with her own backstory and challenges. Though they are neglected, deprived and rejected by family, society, state and nation, they seem to live in harmony with their own sense of freedom and individuality in their self-contained universe. Despite different castes, religions, cultural and political backgrounds, they share their identities only in terms of their bodily existence. Though there is male intervention, they create their own world of feminine ideologies and values through their strategic ways of living. That is why when their own world, that is, the kothabari, comes under the threat of demolition during Partition, they turn into revolutionaries to save their home.

Seeing their house on fire, the gang of women put up a brave fight. After a bloodbath, they enter the inferno and willingly accept death in their own 'country', while being narrated the story of the legendary Rani Padmini of Rajputana. The film ends with the break of dawn, when the house and its inmates have been burnt to dust. The background score Bharata bhagya vidhata touches the heart of every viewer.

More than a film, it is a potent narrative highlighting the resilience and strength of women during the most trying times in Indian history. (Which is your favourite girl gang film... October 7)

Sohini Raychaudhuri

Though there are several versions of this movie, as well as TV series and video games, my personal favourite is Charlie's Angels (2000). Directed by McG in his directorial debut, the gang of three girls fight against the wicked powers-that-be, while working for a mysterious boss (Bill Murray). The slick and sophisticated trio of Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu is everything one needs in a girl gang. Their looks, brains, brawn and karate skills are to die for.

Pampa Paul

Mean Girls (2004) is my favourite girl gang movie, and probably one of the greatest teen comedies of all time to have gathered a die-hard following that drinks a toast to its humour and cultural impact.

Writer Tina Fey’s setting serves as a perfect plat du jour for success, portraying North Shore as a typical American high school brimming with stereotypes. Some critics argue that Mean Girls clings to these stereotypes through the course of its plot in order to personalise and develop its characters. The three most popular girls in school, as bitchy as they are beautiful,are the Plastics, so called since they bear an eccentric resemblance to Barbie, are also often seen as one-dimensional, shallow and superficial, reinforcing negative stereotypes about teenage girls.

As an accessory to this, Mean Girls features a diverse cast of female characters, each with her own distinct personality and quirks. The roles are well-rounded and relatable, as the film witnesses Lindsay Lohan in her peak performance as Cady Heron, a radical Rachel McAdams as the Queen Bee of the plastics Regina George and Lizzy Caplan as Janis Ian, a semi-goth whose own anthropology extends to an analysis of who sits where in the cafeteria, as she further ventures to plot and reveal North Shore's nasty high school hierarchy.

Fey, as one of the most acclaimed figures in American comedy, writes the screenplay of Mean Girls, making a smart use of comedy as a learning tool. She also plays Miss Norbury in the film, a math teacher, who is more compassionate than high school teachers usually seen in movies. She is one of those teachers who stay with their students beyond the classroom, and make themselves at home in their hearts.

Mean Girls tears open the toxic culture of American high schools with scores of keen-eyed details, which are well-researched and seem rather apt. Lindsay Lohan, who was 17 when the movie was filmed, delivers a calm self-confidence that prevents her from getting rather off-key and garish like so many teenage stars. Her performance never allows Cady’s persona to tilt into caricature, and for that matter, even aids the Plastics to come across as real, within their self-constructed definitions of themselves, unlike the witch-like antagonists of some teenage movies. While many girl gang movies focus on sisterhood and friendship, Mean Girls takes an extraordinary approach by raking through the complexities of female relationships and the dark side of clique culture that are timeless and resonate with audiences of all ages.

Camellia Paul

My most favourite girl gang film is Tapan Sinha's Nirjan Saikate. Though Anil Chatterjee and Rabi Ghosh had excelled in this 1963-released film, still the 'girl gang' of Chhaya Debi, Bharati Debi, Renuka Debi, Ruma Guha Thakurta and Sharmila Tagore formed the most memorable feature in it.

Each of the five female characters (four of them widows) had their own stories and history of tragedy, heartbreak, depression, hopelessness, widowhood, relationship-gone-wrong, along with embedded natural feelings of love, bonhomie, expectations or even envy. The interactions of the five ladies of various age groups with the protagonist (Anil Chatterjee) were extremely interesting, funny, heart-rending and educative, with their journey from Puri to Konark on bullock carts being the most beautiful sequence.

Not to forget the episodes in Konark which transmit the philosophical message that after dumping the baggage of the past, we must continue to walk the path of life with our heads held high, a smile on our lips and optimism in our hearts.

Kajal Chatterjee

Having a close-knit girl gang not only offers us great company to go on wild adventures with but also ensures unwavering encouragement during the rough phases of our life. A film which brilliantly justifies this idea is Monte Carlo (2011), starring my favourite actress-singer Selena Gomez. Three young women who head to Paris for a fun-filled holiday, find themselves in a spot after one of them is mistaken for a rich and spoiled British heiress. What follows is a joyride of love, reconciliation and friendship, moulding it as a classic cocktail of life.

The film's cinematography was top-notch, capturing the charming beauty of Paris and New York. Teen Selena Gomez in her dual role was spectacular, impressing the audience with her acting and singing abilities. Her bond with Theo was genuine and admirable, exuding the pure bliss of a fairytale romance. It resonates with the ambitious life of a young adult, making it a popular watch for sleepovers. Definitely my favourite!

Aayman Anwar Ali