While fans, friends, and foes are still reeling from the wild success of Anushka Sharma backed Pataal Lok, the actor is back to business. Here's your first look at #Bulbbul, a fantastic tale about self-discovery, and justice, wrapped in lore, mystery and intrigue, coming soon on @NetflixIndia. Can't wait to share more!@OfficialCSFilms #KarneshSharma #AnvittaDutt @manojmittra #SaurabhMalhotra pic.twitter.com/3dhEbBH1VT
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) June 10, 2020 took to Twitter this morning to unveil the first look of Bulbbul, her new production for Netflix. Under the banner of Clean Slate Films, the movie is set to release on June 24 on Netflix.
The teaser looks super intriguing, and for good reason. The film marks the directorial debut of Anvita Dutt, who is a seasoned dialogue writer and lyricist in the Hindi film industry. Her name may not be familiar, but her work is spectacularly so. Dutt is associated with acclaimed movies like Queen and Student of the Year. Bulbbul's cast boasts of seasoned names like Rahul Bose, Paoli Dam, and Avinash Tiwary.
Sharma has cracked the code to being brave in Bollywood and winning hearts while at it.
Anushka Sharma: Brave in Bollywood
With the announcement for Bulbbul, one thing is crystal: Anushka Sharma currently rules the mystery-thriller-horror genre in the Indian film scene. Pataal Lok, her previous production for Amazon Prime, belonged to the same genre and received thunderous reviews from across the spectrum. The riveting storyline was undercut with social themes like caste, class, patriarchy, and politics, which are important yet remain undiscussed. These issues are hush-hush in the country, so naturally, mainstream Bollywood steers clear of them. Their box office collections are too precious to meddle with.
Also Read: Paatal Lok: Finally a Web Series which addresses Toxic Masculinity
But these dangerous topics apparently don't intimidate Sharma. Not even a month has passed after Pataal Lok's release, and she has gone on to unveil a teaser for Bulbbul. This new Netflix film too falls in the mystery genre and narrates a story that tackles tradition, superstition, and justice. It is discernible from the film's title that the storyline has a woman at the center of it. Sharma has cracked the code to being brave in Bollywood and winning hearts while at it.
Ghosts and Thrillers
A track record of her recent films reveals that Sharma has an eye for projects that have a social message. For instance, in 2014 Sharma starred as Jaggu, a journalist that exposes deep-seated prejudices towards religion in the country, in PK. For her first production, NH10 she chose to back a thriller on a social issue. Sharma, who starred in this 2015 hit film, was lauded for her grit in depicting a topic as problematic as honour killing. More so, for basing a dark story like this around a strong, standalone female character- something Bollywood has a serious dearth of.
Also Read: Honour Killing Has Nothing To Do With “Honour”
Then in 2017, Sharma produced and starred in Phillauri. She played a ghost in the film. But this one did not make stomachs churn as NH10 had done since Sharma's ghost here was rather Casper-like. The social commentary was not pervasive in Phillauri, but touched upon the backward Manglik culture in wedding traditions. Sharma cut a scarier figure in her next production Pari, in 2018. While the film garnered mixed reviews, it was appreciated for tying together themes of black magic and violation of women. Sharma in this one was all-horror and no-glam, a role not many actors would have dared to take on.
Her production ventures axe social traditions that still set India back by centuries. And she is unapologetic about it all.
Changing the Game
Now with Bulbbul, her fifth production, Sharma is set to capture small screens again. Early on in the game, she has detected signs of change in cinema that is riding the wave of the digital revolution. OTT (over-the-top) platforms are changing the way people consume content. Experts predict that services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu may soon turn silver screens obsolete.
Also Read: Anushka Sharma Is Taking A Break From Work, And Why It Is Okay
Anushka Sharma is a lone wolf. She made her way into the industry without the backing of a godfather to explain the ways of the big, bad B-Town to her. So she continues to carve her own roads even today. She breaks gender stereotypes with every character she portrays on screen. Her production ventures axe social traditions that still set India back by centuries. And she is unapologetic about it all.
The views expressed are the author's own.
Follow Us/shethepeople/media/post_banners/98975r83hBDDUaK3edwo.jpg)
/shethepeople/media/agency_attachments/iUYfaBbcMozaYLoGnoov.png)
