The Tamil word “kottukkaali” refers to a young woman who acts according to her own will, but whose actions her family and society consider wrong. Loosely, it translates to “an adamant girl.”  Directed by PS Vinothraj, Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl) is the story of Meena (Anna Ben), who is taken on a pilgrimage by her family under the pretext of exorcism, to “rid” her of her rebellious behavior: falling in love with a man outside her caste and insisting that she will only marry him. Meena has been customarily betrothed to her maternal cousin, Pandi (Soori). But having failed to make Meena “forget” her love through physical and verbal violence, her family decides to perform a “cleansing” ritual. Unwillingly taken on a long and uncomfortable journey, Meena is accompanied by her parents, Pandi, his father, two sisters, a young nephew, and a few distant relatives. The story sets the stage…

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