Review By Kamal K
There is a lot to appreciate in Bulbbul. Hindi cinema has rarely made a decent horror flick and there are very few films in this genre that are of some quality. Bulbbul is one such film. It's an experimental dark fable immersed in realism and surrealism. And it's this aspect that makes it such a unique film. It's not perfect, not at all. The film is actually quite predictable from the get-go. And the writing could have been better at places, so that some characters could be developed better. But apart from those issues with this film, I found it to be really good. It's an easy watch for most of it's runtime as it's only 95 minutes long which makes it largely an engaging watch but also because it's light in tone for the 1st half until all of a sudden everything changes and tone becomes much darker and much sinister and it's at this point that the film becomes much more layered and deeply powerful and impactful. I wouldn't delve much into it as it would spoil the experience but it ventured into quite darker territories. Initially, it was disturbing to watch but later on I could feel the pain Bulbbul went through and the narrative felt justified.
This would not feel as much effective if not for the incredible acting by the cast especially Tripti Dimri as Bulbbul. The transformation in her performance from a naive and innocent girl to a matured and mysterious woman was a treat. Her eyes speak volumes, there is a sadness and depth in her eyes which you feel once you know her pain and suffering and how this was 'normal'. She's a revelation and I would love to see more of her in films. Without her beautiful and haunting performance, this wouldn't have been so effective. The rest of the cast is also used very well. I particularly liked Rahul Bose more than the rest. Some of the other actors had a very small role and wished they had much more developed arcs but they did good in that limited time. My favorite scene is a conversation involving Bulbbul and Satya towards the end of the film which, for me, is another turning point in the film where Bulbbul's feelings towards Satya changes, shown very subtly but it's quite heart-breaking.
The music is a bit underwhelming but quite good and suits the eeriness of the film. The production design is beautifully done. The period setting is pitch perfect. The greatest achievement, however, is the cinematography by Siddharth Diwan. It's extraordinary. He has done an excellent job in transporting the audience into the late 1800s as well as communcating the fantastical fairy tale aspect of the film. It's at times gorgeous to look at, at times unsettling and sometimes both. The crimson filled moonlit nights after a point, felt right. I'll go as far as to say that it's some of the best cinematography I have seen in Hindi cinema. The direction was also very good. This is Anvita Dutt's debut and she has done a great job in pulling this off. It's really a very moody atmospheric kind of a film without any reliance on jump scares. A solid tale of revenge/justice in the disguise of a gothic horror with a strong message. Worth a watch.
1 out of 1 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink