Bulbbul: Review

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 historical phenomenon. Even in the contemporary times women have to bear the brunt of being subjected to the patriarchal society.  The notion of the witch is popular in many tales and urban legends. The film picks this very idea and  retells it as a tale of a woman who has emerged victorious from the oppression of the society. The image of Kali evoked in the film is a reminder of the non-confirmity of the mythological deity. She stands against the portrayal of the ideal woman- violent, aggressive and standing up to the injustices done to her.  Bulbbul represents these aspects- she smokes, she does not put on a veil in the presence of other men and most importantly she has the same rage for justice as Kali. Yet at the same time she has the most soothing smile on her face, in spite of being the victim of domestic violence. Not just that but the film also draws on the narrative of silence surrounding the issue. For example when Binodini, the younger daughter-in-law of the family comes to know about Bulbbul being raped by her husband Mahendra she tells her to be silent. But Bulbbul chooses not to remain silent. Instead she decides to avenge the insult made to her and act on behalf of several other women who have been at the receiving end of violence.  

Although after being the victim of domestic violence there emerges a different persona of Bulbbul. She is reborn as a strong and independent woman.  Hence, the film can also be seen from a queer lens as the protagonist in one particular scene expresses her sexual desires for the younger daughter-in-law. Bulbbul says that the death of Binodini's husband  can benefit both of them. Perhaps, this could also be indicative of the abuse that Binodini had to face because of her mentally ill husband. But analysing the character of Bulbbul, who defies the norms of the society, it is quite possible that she was sexually attracted to her sister-in-law. Perhaps even Binodini was in love with her as she constantly tried to distance Bulbbul from her husband, Indranil and Satya with whom Bulbbul was close to since her childhood. 

Bulbbul had been wronged by the one she has admired the most. Even Satya fails to understand her and it is Dr Sudip who has to remind him that the 'chudail' (witch) that he has been hunting for is none other than his own sister-in-law. It's Sudip who offers an alternate perspective of looking at this haunted ghost of the forest. She is not a daayan, he says, but a Goddess. There is a very thin line of deeming a woman either as a witch or uplifting her as a Goddess. The film is a reminder to pay careful attention to these stories and not be too quick to judge.