Bulbbul : Not in Cage anymore

Bulbbul is a 2020 Hindi-language fantasy horror drama film written and directed by Anvita Dutt, and produced by Anushka Sharma released on OTT platform Netflix. Tripti Dimri, Avinash Tiwary and Rahul Bose captivated acting and well crafted direction of film takes it to the another level of horror genre. The film starts off with a child, Bulbbul, sagging her feet down a tree branch, humming away. She is so tiny that she just about manages to hold two ripe mangoes in both her hands. Soon, she is found by her (aunt) and taken away to the mandap .Child marriages at the time weren't uncommon. The character Bulbbul metaphorically depicts that caged bird who always tries to live free, but this orthodox traditions and beliefs forced her into this trap. This films strike a chord of 1971 Dastak where a female protagonist was caged in the four walls of house because of their muslim identity and the profession of singing which was consider a job of courtesans at that time. But now in 2020 women knows how to payback and not bound in cage and boundaries anymore . Barely five, Bulbbul is being wedded to Bado Thakur with the consent of the elders of Bulbbul's family. Yet her young mind cannot process that. She assumes she's marrying Satya (younger brother of bade Thakur) it must be so because he is more of her age. Mejo Thakur, the eldest and the mentally unstable second brother of a rich Thakur family and his wife Binodini is one of the strongest character of film who always try to dispense negativity about Satya and Bullbbul relationship .The story sheds light on different social issues like early child marriages, gender inequality and unveils the dirty secrets of rich families. It’s a story of revenge , from these cruel male dominating and insensitive people. Satya and Bulbbul spend most of their time telling each other stories of witches and witchcraft, losing themselves in the undiscovered corners of the haveli, and in each other. That witch, of course, is very real, perhaps we've all seen her around us. They grow co-dependent, but more importantly, she finds a safe house in him, something very few would understand, and fewer would accept. The story then moves 20 years ahead, Bulbbul and Satya are now in their twenties, their relationship now slightly mature, yet without a definition. For Bado Thakur, however, Bulbbul is now of age. He's waited 20 years to see the same love for himself in Bulbbul's eyes that he's had for her, except something is muddled. "Bulbbul ko toh sirf Satya chahiye," Binodini fills in continuously in the mind of Bade Thakur. One day Bade Thakur out of anger beat Bulbbul dying to the last until her both the legs dislocated, and after that has left her and haveli as well. The worst happened when Mejo Thakur raped her in distressing condition, at that time Satya was in London for further studies and when he came back, he found the new Bulbbul . Dr Sudip who visits frequently and checks her feet , the one who gave her second life, but now his presence makes Satya uncomfortable . Mejo Thakur is killed by what the superstitious villagers feel was a witch attack, Binodini, now a widow, lives in an outhouse of sorts with her kin and Bulbbul has taken up the mantle on her able shoulders. Bulbbul is a different person today, but unlike Satya, the audience knows exactly why. Her shy smile has turned into a confident, almost intoxicating chuckle, her sweet red bindi almost churns your stomach now, and her soothing cascading black tresses seem deathly even more attractive.  Bulbbul is fashioned as a sharply relevant allegory but whatever is on the screen for 94 minutes is logical, sensitive and haunting. It is a powerful feminist, revisionist tale of a woman wronged, and it is told with economy, precision, style and feeling. This film is a great contribution in the almost vanished horror genre and certainly set new standards. It’s good to see that now horror business has taken seriously by filmmakers. Webseries like Betaal,Typewriter , Ghoul , Pari and Bubbul are content based fantasy supernatural and zombies stories which actually reflecting the potential and possibilities of this genre.