How are 'Bulaki' and 'Jari' released on Friday?
Since last Friday, two Nepali films with the same story are being screened - Bulaki and Zari.
Both films focus on the 'Jari' practice.
Coincidentally, both films cover the story of the fifties.
The continuing practice of Karnali Veg is presented in Bulaki. The story of the East Limbu community is included in the continuation.
In Bulaki, the boy who abducts a married girl continues to pay her husband. In Zari, the girl's in-laws pay Zari to the boy given in marriage.
When marrying a woman who is another's wife, it is said to continue to give cash property to the former husband.
Both these films have exposed the same practice. Both Hira (Suraksha Pant) in Bulaki and Hangma (Miruna Magar) in Zari have children. Although the premise of the story is the same, the presentation of the two films is different.
Let's talk about Bulaki first.
Hira (Suraksha Pant) and Chandra (Naren Khadka) long for a child. Even after three years of marriage, their child was not born. Chandra tells Kalapahad that he wants a baby anyway within a year. He finds Hira's weakness in not having children. Not only Chandra but also her mother cheats on Hiram.
After her husband goes abroad, Hira gets the support of Ratna (Viraj Bishta). Hiraki intends to marry Nanda Ratna. But Ratna loves diamonds.
Unable to bear the words of society and mother-in-law, Hira marries a second time. Meanwhile, the issue of continuing payment comes. The film portrays this as a bad practice. The entry of the then Maoists is also shown in the ongoing scene. They try to stop it.
In this film, Hira and Chandra have a love affair. Hira's love relationship with Ratna, who is married for the second time, has not been established.
The film uses Far West Loves but no subtitles. Eastern audiences may not find it easy to understand the film's dialogues. Even artists have not been able to do justice to the love of the Far West. The mishmash style seems to hamper dialogue delivery.
Suraksha Pant's performance in the film is average. She doesn't seem so comfortable doing the household chores.
Before Bulaki, his film 'Bahav' was screened. The stories of both the films are very different. Sandhya, who is rebelling against her parents to live her own way in Bhaava, and Hira from Karnali Veg look similar in some scenes. In both films, she is presented in the same mood in the scene of Chattapatahat.
Naren Khadka's performance as Chandra is good. Saraswati Khatri, who played the role of Hiraki Nanda in the film, has done a commendable job. From teasing Solti to helping their sister-in-law, she seems to fit the role.
The cinematographer's hard work is visible in the film. He has beautifully presented the hill village. But the film has forgotten the rhythm. When the story of the film is moving slowly, suddenly the song breaks the mood.
The film includes two songs titled 'Yo Khasto Mayako' and 'Nach Suwa Naach'. Both the songs made the film weaker, not stronger.
Bulaaki has a female character in the central role but patriarchy dominates the film.
Now let's move on.
Hangma (Miruna Magar) and Namsang (Dayahang Rai) are a couple.
At the beginning of the film, there is a dialogue of Dayahang - 'What happened in my house? Neither the buffalo nor the man.'
After five years of marriage, their child has not been born. For this reason, Namsang insults his wife by calling him a 'that woman'. Then there is a fight between the two. After getting kicked, Hangma decides to leave the house and go to Mait.
But she is hoping that he will come to get her husband. One day at the fair, another young man wins Palam and marries Hangma. Palam is a folk song of the Limbu community. It is sung at various cultural gatherings, weddings, festivals, etc.
Hangman will continue to pay Namsang after she remarries. But Maiti cannot pay because she is poor. Unable to pay the bills, Hongma agrees to live as a servant in Namsang's house.
This is not only a story about the custom of rent, but also the story of the events of being forced to become a servant because of not being able to pay the rent.
Director Upendra Subba has beautifully presented the love story of the Limbu community. The film is not without flaws.
Hangma's husband, who is working as a servant, is not shown. Meanwhile, why he did not investigate Hangma is not answered.
In the Limbu community, women are given the right to decide whether to stay in a marriage or not. Hangma has been given the said rights in this film as well. But patriarchal thinking seems to dominate. What Hongma wants is not asked when Maiti takes her back home after paying.
Actress Miruna Magar acted well in the film. She has blended into the environment of the Limbu community. From Dayahang to Vijay Baral, all the actors in the film acted well.
The film sometimes makes you laugh, sometimes makes you cry. Some of the scenes are also kept for laughs. An example of this is the buffalo dyeing scene and dialogue. Animals and women are often compared in the film.
The story moves slowly. So the first half may be sluggish. The second part does not disappoint the audience.
The cinematography of the film is simple.
In 'Bulaki' and 'Jari', the sense of how society looks at women who do not have children is presented. In Bulaki, women are blamed for the breakdown of marital relations, while both men and women are given equal rights.