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Don’t let the trailers misguide you. “Bulbbul” is not a horror film that will scare you with ghosts in makeup and demons in CGI. Instead, it a hard-hitting film based on supernatural elements, which will scare your reality. Only a couple of weeks into its release, Bulbbul has been widely hailed as a powerful feminist film. With all its tactfulness, storytelling and factual representation, it deserves every bit of applause it’s getting.

The film is placed in Bengal Presidency in 1881 and starts with the wedding ceremony of five-year-old Bulbbul (Ruchi Mahajan/Tripti Dimri) who is getting married to Indranil (Rahul Bose), a rich landlord, who is also a few decades older than her. A mere child who is distracted by the proceedings around her, Bulbbul is actually being tricked into the marriage, and is shocked to find that Satya, closer to her age and who she thinks is her husband, is her brother-in-law, youngest in the family after Mahendra (Bose), Indranil’s twin. The child-bride Bulbbul forms a very natural bond of friendship with Satya (Varun Buddhadev/Avinash Tiwary) but is also burdened by the responsibility of being the ‘thakurain’ of the ancestral mansion under the scrutiny of her sister-in-law Binodini (Paoli Dam).

The narrative then jumps to 20 years later when everything in the village has changed. The once booming mansion is now somewhat desolate and the village is shrouded by what the locals believe to be an evil woman’s spirit. Satya, who returns home after five years abroad, finds that his eldest brother has left home while the younger twin has been murdered under mysterious contexts. His childhood playmate and sister-in-law Bulbbul has, also to his surprise, changed her personality, which confuses him. At the same time, reports of unsolved murder cases in the village start mounting.

Told after that in flashbacks and present narratives, the story of Bulbbul then unmasks the dirty faces within the family and its periphery. Written and directed by Anvita Dutt, and produced by Indian actress Anushka Sharma, Bulbbul takes on traditions, patriarchal customs, and everything that suppresses women. Starting with the now criminalized tradition of taking child brides, to the reference of women’s toenails as an accessory to control their spirit, to women who have been tamed by patriarchy trying to lasso other women into it—Bulbbul questions the root of these customs. Also, the film targets pedophiles, sexual abusers and violent perpetrators as the scum of the society who need to be dealt with the harshest punishments.

The screenplay of Bulbbul, however strong the theme, does seem to lag at times but there are plenty of good elements in the film to mask this weakness. The storyline itself, spun out of folklores, is somewhat predictable but the subject it deals with makes it very relevant as well.

As for the acting in Bulbbul, the actors create a world of their own. With most actors coming from outside commercial cinemas, their presence gives newness to the setting, and they are convincing enough to transport us way back in time.

Tripti Dimri as the adult Bulbbul is what her character needs to be—bonded yet liberated, innocent yet beguiling, simple yet mystifying. Tripti’s expressions don’t give away the storm she has built inside and that could be the most important requirement for her role.

Similarly, Avinash Tiwary as adult Satya offers strong shoulders for the story to rest upon. His re-entry into the scene as an adult starts a chain of events resolving towards the climax. Avinash takes on the burden of being a pivot to the plot and guides us through the story without appearing overzealous. Paoli Dam as the luxuriously living Binodini turned widow in penance also makes her presence felt.

Another remarkable part of the film is its camerawork and lighting. Siddharth Diwan’s cinematography maintains the etiquettes of a horror film through PoVs, handheld shots, and long-medium-short frame combinations to never let the audience’s view settle. Infused with the eccentric red lighting, the screen appears magical.

Who should watch it?

Again, Bulbbul is not your usual, scary horror film. It as an important tale nonetheless, told from a feminist perspective, and recommended for everyone, regardless of their age and gender.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: Horror

Director: Anvita Dutt

Actors: Avinash Tiwary, Tripti Dimri, Paoli Dam

Runtime: 1h 34min |

Back in school, poetry never made much sense to me. Milton, Keats, Shelly—they all felt the same and went right over my head. If I had to write a poem, the last word of each line had to rhyme with that of the next. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I haven’t gotten any better at understanding poetry since. Thankfully, I no longer try to write poems, even though the itch is there sometimes.

But I haven’t given up on poetry altogether. Spoken word poetry and occasional stanzas at the beginning of various books have managed to keep alive the hope that one day it will all make perfect sense. In the meanwhile, I’m glad there are some poets who already do.

Nikita Gill

Gill mostly writes about womanhood and feminism and her poems challenge the conventional notion of what it means to be a woman. Her poems about life, loss, and being strong in general will have you nodding, saying, “Yes, that’s it… that’s exactly how I feel.” Her poems are what are going on in your head, you just hadn’t been able to put it in words. Reading her, for me, is an extremely calming and cathartic experience. It makes me realize my experiences and issues aren’t unique and, in that way, feel less lonely. If you are already a fan of Rupi Kaur then you will definitely love Gill’s empowering poems. ‘Wild Embers’ and ‘Fierce Fairytales’ are my favorites of all Gill’s books. You don’t have to read them in one sitting; you can keep them on your shelf and dip in and out whenever you feel like.

Atticus 

Instagram sensation, the anonymous and mask-donning Atticus has fans in stars like Shay Mitchell and Karlie Kloss. Dubbed as the #1 poet to follow by Teen Vogue and the “World’s most tattoo-able poet” by Galore magazine, Atticus has two books out with Simon & Schuster—‘Love Her Wild’, and ‘The Dark Between Stars’—both of which have received raving reviews. Readers are however divided on Atticus. Not everyone loves him, or even likes him. Some find his work painfully mediocre. But reading Atticus will make you think about love and relationships in a way you hadn’t before. I wouldn’t say all his poems are exceptional but I am particularly fond of how his books are designed with interesting, full-page black-and white-digital art and photos. They give you a moment to wonder and ponder.

Cleo Wade 

Called the “Millennial Oprah”, Wade has over 685,000 followers on Instagram. Her book ‘Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life’ is full of positive little nuggets that warm your heart. The small, square book, that you can easily slip into your pocket or purse, is branded as self-help rather than poetry. If you have ever wanted an instruction manual for life, this is it. Her words have also been used in advertisements for Gucci’s Chime for Change campaign, stenciled on Nike AF1 sneakers, and inscribed on designer dishes. Wade’s short, fragmented poems are little important thoughts in our head that, burdened by daily life and its hundreds of hassles, have been shoved at the very back.

Ramya (Nandita Swetha) walks into a police station on a stormy night to file a report on her missing husband. Police officer Rahman (Vijay Prakash) listens to her story as the flashback on her relationship with Karthik (Havish) plays on screen. Then, in the middle of her storytelling, Rahman cuts her off to tell her a different story instead, of another woman named Jenny (Anisha Ambrose), who has filed a similar report. Strangely, her husband’s name is Karthik too and has all the same characteristics of Ramya’s husband.

The story of the bilingual film “Seven”—available in both Tamil and Telugu—is already intriguing before there is another plot twist, added by Abhinaya (Aditi Arya), a visually impaired woman, who files a missing case for her husband, Karthik! Rahman is bewildered to say the least and lodges a manhunt for Karthik, suspecting him of fraud and polygamy.

When Karthik is found and locked up, he strangely refuses to recognize any of the three women, while they seem to have live witnesses who can verify their relationships. He is then visited in the police station by Priya (Tridha Choudhury), who too claims to be his wife. But when she sees him in his cell, she snatches a gun from a police personnel and shoots, but only manages to injure him.

Up to this point, Seven is an enigmatic film that could go in any direction and surprise the audience out of their wits. The uncertainty and suspense in the plot keep it thrilling and interesting to watch. But as the movie progresses, it loses the plot, and goes haywire into improbability and absurdity by the time it reaches its climax. By the time the end credits roll, the film loses all its interesting traits to become just another false promise.

Director Nizar Shafi and writer Ramesh Varma combine their skills in starting this exciting thriller. But there seems to be a big confusion in production by the interval and it feels like someone else took over their jobs in the latter half.

There’s a terrible backstory of a couple of decades ago to explain Karthik’s current situation, and a psychotic killer pops up in the form of Saraswathi (Regina Cassandra). The revelation of her character was supposed to be the turning point of the film but it is so badly written, she ends up with the magnanimity for a villain behind all the confusion and carnage shown in the movie.

Strangely, we never know why the film is called Seven. Looking at the poster again tells us that it’s probably because there are seven ‘important’ characters in the story. To be honest, some of them don’t even deserve the weightage the film’s name gives them.

But what Nizar Shafi misses in direction, he somewhat makes up in cinematography. The camera work is not exactly extraordinary but considering how the film spirals in intensity, the consistency in creating thrilling visuals does manage to be a saving grace. The soundtrack by Chaitan Bharadwaj is also ordinary, but still good in the film’s context.

Meanwhile, the actors, none a big name in the industry, are also average. We know India’s southern belt is not short of acting talents, but not when you use Seven as the reference.

To sum it up, Seven starts as an extraordinary endeavor before it comes crashing down on mediocre grounds. With 1h 57-min runtime, it is like one of those over-zealous marathon runners who take a quick sprint at the start and then lose steam and fail to make it even to the Top 10.

Who should watch it?

Seven fares poorly because of our high expectations of South Indian thrillers. Otherwise, for audience who effortlessly enjoy Hindi-dubbed South Indian movies on YouTube, ‘Seven’ on Netflix can be an entertainer for sure.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Cast: Havis, Vijay Prakash, Regina Cassandra

Director: Nizar Shafi

Run time: 1h 57mins

I’m a little in love with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s short story collection, ‘The Thing Around Her Neck’, and her book-length essay, ‘We Should All Be Feminists’. On the other hand, I haven’t really connected with her novels on that level. It’s great writing but there is usually something about the story that feels a little off. Unrestrained by word-count, Adichie has a tendency to get carried away and that makes her novels a bit unstructured. Or maybe it’s just bad editing.

But I still enjoyed ‘Purple Hibiscus’, Adichie’s debut novel and winner of the 2005 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize. It’s a coming of age story that unravels as a military regime comes to power in Nigeria. Set against the backdrop of a coup, it is as much about the struggles of a politically troubled Nigeria as it is about a seemingly normal Nigerian family governed by abuse and control.

Narrated in the first person by 15-year-old Kambili Achike, living in an affluent household with her brother, Jaja; her mother, Beatrice; and her father, Eugene, Purple Hibiscus will have you contemplating about life and your beliefs while reinforcing the fact that abuse is never acceptable and that it can’t ever be a sign of love.

To the world, Eugene is a good man. He is the publisher of the newspaper ‘Standard’ in Enugu, goes to mass regularly, and doesn’t hesitate to help others, often without taking any credit for it. But at home, it’s a different matter altogether. Kambili and Jaja live in constant fear of his beatings, which Eugene views as “lessons” on becoming more pious Catholics. Beatrice has had many miscarriages because of Eugene’s violent nature but she never stands up to him. Instead, she is always trying to please him, and she ends up at the hospital when she can’t do that.

But the family doesn’t know any other way of life and thinks whatever is happening is all for their benefit. Eugene’s actions are never met with any resistance. However, things change when Kambili and Jaja go to visit their aunt, Ifeoma, who is a university professor in Nsukka. Here, in a house way smaller than theirs, the siblings encounter a new way of life that allows them to speak, laugh, and not worry about being punished because of someone’s mood swings. For the first time, Kambili realizes that she is free to have opinions and ideas of her own.

Purple Hibiscus is a beautiful story of a girl blossoming and coming into her own, though the narrative is a tad slow at times. The story also heartbreaking and beautifully captures the tension between oppression and our innate desire to be free. The only problem I had with Purple Hibiscus is that there are many things happening but they all feel a bit underdeveloped. That’s perhaps why none of the characters stay with you when you are done. I would still recommend it to those in want of an introspective read, for it definitely gives you some food for thought.

Fiction

Purple Hibiscus

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Published: 2004

Publisher: 4th Estate

Language: English

Pages: 307, Paperback