Quarantine added a new relationship with Netflix. I watched the trailer of Bulbbul few days back and I was sure this is a horror series. I mostly watch Netflix during the night in a locked room, and I hate horror. Ok, let me say this, I fear from horror. I was skipping the movie for the last two days but yesterday, I planned to watch this at midnight and I wasn’t scared anytime.
1881, Bengal Presidency, the story starts from a marriage ceremony. The scene was presented to confuse you, but it didn’t. Facts become clear with each passing scene. The dialogues on wearing a ring in the toes mean to fly, and the little bride asking her auntie if it meant to fly in the open sky? ‘ Nahi, udaan ko kaid karne ke liye pehna jata hai’, this clears your assumption on what the full movie is based on. I personally love such content where they talk about social issues and patriarchy. But the question is if ‘ BULBBUL’ was a story of 2020 what would be different?
The film captures girl child marriage, women’s oppression, rape, widow’s life, patriarchy, domestic violence, male dominant society, and of course the portrayal of a lady in three phases- Child, teenage and adult. How does a child search for a friend among adults in a family? How does a teenager get attracted to a person who regards and cares for her? How does an adult react to social settings around her?
The satire in the dialogues are more pinching to heart, and will make you think twice or can make you replay the scene to get that cunning smile on an innocent face. The best part of the movie is giving you flashbacks connected with recent events. The character of Binodini speaks more, her anguish behavior, jealousy, royalty, and then the widow phase gets clear when she indirectly teaches a lesson to Bulbbul, ‘ Chup rahna, sab milega- ye haveliyon me kayi Raaz chupe hai’.
We have heard this in India, ‘Aurat agar Apne pe aa jaaye to wo kali, Durga sabka roop le leti hai’. So for that ‘roop’, you need to watch ‘ Bulbbul’ streaming on Netflix. If you have already watched it, do comment on your views. Thank you for bringing some good content amidst such a situation.