Bulbbul Review: Feminist Tale of Revenge And Honour

The film Bulbbul, produced by Anushka Sharma, owned by Clean Slate Films, was directed by Anvita Dutt. The film has been available on Netflix since 24 June 2020. Bulbbul 's story is centered on the ancient folklore of a witch or a demon-woman (Chudail) who resurrects after succumbing to an unnatural death. Though the concept of witch carrying inverted legs mostly refers to the evil spirit in the supernatural horror stories, the director gives it a feminist twist in the movie Bulbbul.

The film tells the tale of the Jamindar family who used to live in a large palace (haveli) in Bengal under the Indian sub-continent throughout the 19th century. The plot starts with the main character Bulbbul, who is married to Indranil, an elderly royal man. Before marriage, the child Bulbbul used to climb trees and pluck mangos like a free spirit. Being unconscious about the true meaning of marriage or husband, the child bride Bulbbul gets inclined to her similar-aged brother-in-law Satya.

Indronil's mentally challenged twin brother Mahendra and his wife Binodini are other significant characters in the story. Innocent friendship between Satya and Bulbbul creates jealousy in the minds of Indranil and Binodini who are secretly engaged in promiscuous relationships. The story turns to a new spin when Satya is sent to London for study purposes by the big brother Jamindar Indronil whose real intention is to break up the attachment between Satya and Bulbbul.

After a few years, as Satya returns to his home, he finds the transformed and grown-up Bulbbul. Satya is shocked that Bulbbul has left her innocent nature far behind. In the meantime, unexplained serial killings have taken place in that area, where all perpetrators are males who used to harass their own wives. The superstitious villagers suspect the witch for murder allegations. Finding it difficult to believe the story of a witch, Satya starts the investigation in his own way. Initially, he becomes suspicious of Dr. Sudip – another dominant male character – who has a friendly relation with Bulbbul.

The story continues as there is an unexpected incident of abuse in the life of Bulbbul. While disturbing to watch, this violence has taken the film to its conclusion. Dr. Sudip is joining the life of Bulbbul as a doctor. While he is a sincere well-wisher of Bulbbul, in accordance with the customs and standards of culture, he prefers to restrict their relationship to a boundary.

The movie Bulbbul speaks for feminism in a novel style. The director has showcased the plight of rural women who silently endure domestic violence. The storyline depicts how Bulbbul and her sister-in-law Binodini get tortured by the male members of their family. Instead of being sympathetic to each other’s distress, those two female roles had a bumpy relationship that spots light over the disorganized distressed women of the society. While Bulbbul chooses to take revenge against the violence against her and some other tormented women of the village, Binodini decides to suppress her feelings; they acted like two ends of the same sword.

This film is led by Tripti Dimri as Bulbbul, the lifeline of the plot. Her captivating, bashful, welcoming and enigmatic grin, coupled with her strong results, is truly commendable. Yet again, Rahul Bose shows his ability to perform double roles including Mahendra and Indranil. The veteran Bengali actress Paoli Dam played the role of Binodini with great proficiency. The powerful presence of Parambrata Chattopadhyay as Dr. Sudip enriches the film. And, Avinash Tiwary as Satya complements the story quite well. The whole cast has done a wonderful job of making the film vigorous and enjoyable.

From beginning to end, the movie Bulbbul charms the audiences with a rich setting, regal costumes, enormous palace, and mysterious forest. This film combines classic pre-Renaissance Bengal and local horror gothic. Amit Trivedi’s beguiling lull music made the scenes more thrilling. What is more? The gripping effect of the deep crimson palette nicely signifies the bloody goings-on, which will amuse the fans of horror stories.

Thanks to the director and dialogue-writer Anvita Dutt, for successfully presenting an intricate, suspenseful, but magnificent story in a period of one hour and 34 minutes. The visually fascinating, and charismatic screenplay has made this movie a must-see for your next movie night.

Source: UNB