By Afshan Akram

Bulbbul is a Hindi language film directed by Anvita Dutt Guptan. It was produced by Anushka Sharma starring Tripti Dimri in the lead role. The film Bulbbul is set in a backdrop of 1880’s Bengal Presidency revolves around a child bride and her excursion from blamelessness to strength.

Now when we watch the film Bulbbul then the question arises whether she is a witch or a Goddess? And this, one will be able to decide for themselves after they watch the film. For the villagers she is a hellcat because all the men of the village are getting murdered but for many we can call it the punishment by the Goddess. Now, when we watch the trailer and the film we can conclude that both the things are totally different from each other. And if we take it as only a horror film, then that will not do justice to the film. 

This film tells us the story of Bengal in 1881 when very young girls were married off to men who were two to three times their age. That time girls were made to wear toe rings as a symbol that they are married, and that they were only supposed to listen to their husbands  and do whatever they told them to do. 

Now when Bulbbul is just a young girl who is supposed to be playing with dolls, she gets married off to Inderneel who is much older than her. In Bulbbul’s In-Laws house, there is Inderneel’s twin brother Mahendra who is literally mentally challenged, his wife Binodini and the youngest brother Satya who is the age of Bulbbul. 

Then the story of the film directly jumps to after 20 years. Now, Bulbbul starts liking Satya and her husband Inderneel doesn’t like it and is not okay with it. And that’s why Inderneel sends him off to London. Then when he returns after 5 years, he feels that Bulbbul has turned into this mysterious woman and that’s when the story takes a new turn. 

The film can be called just okay but the relationship that its characters share makes the movie something totally different. There can be a proper argument about who is right and who is wrong in the movie. Can something as supernatural as a witch be shot with a bullet? Questions like these arise while watching the film and these can come out to be the imperfections or some of the things to which the director did not give that much importance to. 

The film was quite successful in showing the brutalities and injustice women had to face at that time but the film was unsuccessful in coming up with something new. The climax of the film is also quite weak, like it usually happens with these kinds of things. 

One thing which hits about this movie differently is its direction which the Director Anvita Dutt has shown in a supernatural kind of way. She has been able to present that era in such a way that the audience is directly able to connect with it. Huge Bengali haveli’s, thick forests, women wearing Sarees and adorned with ornaments wearing red Henna, and also the widows whose hair are shaved off takes us right back to that period. Some scenes shot by Anvita are quite amazing. Like the scene in which Bulbbul is being beaten by her husband is worth watching. And there is another scene where Binodini is shown sharing her sad experiences with Bulbbul. 

The use of the colour red is quite a lot in the film which creates a totally different kind of tension. Because if on one side it shows the powerfulness of Goddesses then on the other hand it represents blood as well. But the Director has tried her level best to use the colour red to her advantage. The drawbacks of the writer are ignorable and this film should at least be watched once. The film is only about the duration of an hour and a half and that can be seen as a plus point for the film. The film is  quite strong from a technical point of view. The cinematography, costumes and location are quite wonderfully chosen. 

Tripti Dimri who is in the lead role was quite successful in creating a mysterious environment while watching the film. Paoli Dam and Parambrata Chatterjee were also successful in leaving their imprint on the minds and hearts of the audience. 

Despite having an average story line, the movie being only of the duration of an hour and half and being directed in a great way can be watched at least once.