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Bulbbul movie review: Rahul Bose, Paoli Dam starrer struggles to tick too many things while accomplishing very little

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Critics Rating:
CastTripti Dimri,Rahul Bose,Paoli Dam,Avinash Tiwary Parambrata Chatterjee
DirectorAvnita Dutt
GenreHorror

Films set in colonial Bengal invariably pack a certain aesthetic. The mash of Western manners and traditional customs have forever offered a canvas to narrate a range of stories from Devdas to Lootera. But Avnita Dutt’s Bulbbul ventures into the fable space with a story about a chudail who borders on being a ‘devi’ and yet a devastating force who brutally eliminates her victims. But is there more to her than meets the evil eye?

Set in 1881, the film opens to an adolescent bride, Bulbbul coming to grips with her child marriage to Indranil Thakur (Rahul Bose), who shares his vast haveli with his intellectually-challenged twin Mahendra and his wife Binodini (Paoli Dam). But being of the same age, the child bride’s best friend happens to be her youngest devar, Satya. The story takes a timelapse, and we find Bulbbul (Tripti Dimri), now a young lady of her manor, with her husband having left the fold on an unexplained voyage. But when Satya (Avinash Tiwary) returns from London following an academic pursuit, he becomes curious about the spree of murders that have wrecked his village, which the locals seem to pin on a certain chudail on the prowl.


Debutante Anvita Dutt’s story accounts for various beliefs and also legends: a witch has inverted feet or the toe rings worn by young brides that symbolise their supposed domestication. There are several passing references or hat tips to Tagore (child bride, character names such as Mahendra and Binodini). But the resemblance ends there and Bulbbul doesn’t import any of those layered plot points. It stands it own, even while not managing to particularly impress. Apart from its languid pace, this one struggles with ticking too many things while accomplishing very little. It strives to be a thriller, a drama, a pertinent dialogue on social evils but largely, only assembles a khichadi which lacks salt and thus, flavour.

The film, however, excels in production design (Meenal Agarwal) and cinematography (Siddharth Diwan), functions which effectively carve the period and mood required. Amit Trivedi’s background score is disappointing though and does little but distract one from the proceedings, without complementing or elevating any given sequence.

Tiwary and Dimri, the duo who debuted together in the overrated Laila Majnu (2018) are just as scattered here. Tiwary strives to channel his inner Ranveer Singh, even down-brushing his mop in this pursuit, but in terms of performance, he’s just as forgettable as the next gully boy. Dimri, in the eponymous role, was extended a far larger responsibility which she shoulders with a collection of giggles and stares. Bose pulls in the theatrics and arrogance of the 19th century Bengali Thakurmoshai with some conviction and shows just as much restraint in playing the twin, while Dam is quite exceptional in her brief part. Parambrata Chatterjee, who plays a doctor and Bulbbul’s friend here, doesn’t have much scope or screen time but is convincing and committed to this part.

The analogy of a devi emerging from the flaming moon to rid the earth of those who spew evil isn’t an original thought. While the execution here elevates that idea to an extent, it fails to infuse interest or thrill in the story. After all, there are few things as bland and banal as a story about a chudail who can’t conjure a single chill. Our verdict: Witch, please!

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