Devi or Demoness: A Journey of Transformation through Bulbbul

Bulbbul, a movie directed by Anvita Dutt, exhibits the typical patriarchal Renaissance setup. A docile image of a woman was exhibited through Bulbbul, who gets married to an elderly Zamindar -Thakur, as a child. After a lapse of twenty years, circumstances take a mysterious turn and Bulbbul becomes a ‘Thakurain’, with no sign of Thakur in the background. Bulbbul was subjected to violence in a patriarchal system, and she bears it with silence. The joy from her life seems to have vanished. Simultaneously; in the village, mysterious incidents occur where some witch seems to be killing men. For ages, the women who could not be controlled or restrained were branded as witches in order to be crushed. The movie also exposed that there is a limit to sustain pain and exploitation after which the oppressed revolt and take revenge. The movie is replete with metaphors specifically the metaphor of feet and Philomela myth could also be deciphered. The image of a woman has been exemplified first as the goddess who was conventional, docile, sacrificing, devoted and the other demonic that was bold, strong, fierce and revengeful.