Language – Assamese, Runtime – 118 minutes

a film review written by PARAKRAM SINGH.

I’ve seen a lot of coming of age dramas from Indian Cinema either it be Udaan, Wake up Sid, or from the west Good Will Hunting. Some of the coming of age film works miraculously as they have a relatability factor, but some coming of age dramas fails as they forget in their way what it went out to deliver.

‘Bulbul can Sing’ is set in rural Assam and starts off with establishing the friendship of three friends – Bulbul, Suman and Bonny. Here Suman is a boy who spends most of his time with these two girls – Bulbul and Bonny. They have deep friendship with each other and we can see that they help each other and be with each other be it a family work or playing around. Though they must behave and help their parents like an adult, but still there is a certain kind of innocence in everything that they do. Bulbul is approached by a boy in her class whose name is Parag, through Suman. Now don’t think it’s a love triangle, the film makes it clear in the very early stages that Suman has different interests. They are living a happy life in their own world and their school. But, one turn of events changes the all three character’s lives.

As I mentioned that innocence of Bulbul, Suman and Bonny makes it a pleasant atmosphere for the film, the film changes its mood when so called religious militants while doing their moral policing harasses Bulbul and Bonny and two other boys. That portrayal of these so-called authorities works in some sorts but to what it leads to is unexplored and thus unconvincing for me.

The bio of Rima Das says that she is a self learnt film maker, but her writing is just like the writing which most of the Pixar’s film follows, you can find that template on the internet which is like –
‘once there was…everyday happens this…but, one day this happens and because of whch this happens and finally…’
That ‘finally’ for this film was missing for me. At some point film also shows the hesitation which Bulbul is having regarding her singing skills. That hesitation stays there throughout the film, and that conflict builds up as her father wants her to become a singer, but somehow that conflict is forgotten because of an incident that happens and in the end the resolution remains ambiguous for me as an audience.

The green fields and the scenes near by the river look gorgeous, but one can’t overlook shots which are out of focus or sometimes not composed that well.

As I said, Bulbul can Sing works for me in parts, but left me a bit unsatisfied as a viewer, as I was with the Protagonist who’s Bulbul throughout and in the end I was left with this question can she sing or not!