Musings

My body bears the marks, Of his countless thrashings.  I lie on the floor, Still, as a stone. My children, Peep through the door. Scared. Fear seeped in their eyes. Their mouths muttering, A silent prayer. I have no courage, To meet their eyes. To tell them, I will be fine. Perhaps, I won't. They say it's unsafe, To go out now, But who can save me, From the monster within. I have nurtured that fear, Till I became numb. I have struggled, I strive, I have worked hard to survive.  Yet I smile through my pain, In the hope of uniting, With the world again.

The tale of Bulbbul is so hauntingly familiar that it leaves you with myriads of emotions. The story of the ghost in the forest has been repeated innumerable times in our childhoods and this film subverts that tale and offers an alternate lens of looking at the same story. It forces you to think about the daayan or the 'witch' and pay a careful attention to her story which has been neglected for centuries. Who is this witch and why is she wandering in the forest? What is this that she has been meaning to say? The metaphor of the bichhiya or the toe ring which stands for control is key element of the story. Men have control not only of women's lives but also of women's narratives. Their voices have been silenced and they have been relegated to the margins. But is the protagonist a victim of this silence? No, not at all.  Let's have a look.  Bulbbul , set in colonial India critiques the position of women in the society. Although, the subjugation of women has been a ...