# Bulbul Can Sing

Bulbul Can Sing is a 2018 Indian Assamese language drama film directed by Rima Das. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. The film centres on three teenagers trying to come to terms with their sexual identities. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Assamese at India's 66th National Film Awards.

## Plot

Bulbul is a young girl who lives in Kalardiya village near Chaygaon in India's Assam state. She has two best friends, Bonny and Sumu, and they are coming of age and finding their own identities but who they want to be and what their community expects them to be are two different things as they find themselves at odds with the social mores and moral codes of their village. Clashes emerge as Bulbul finds herself experiencing the first glimmers of attraction for a guy, Sumu is bullied for not acting like a traditional man and Bonny finds the pressures of the community unbearable. As fear and doubt assail the three friends, Bulbul must find her own voice and sing.

## Cast

* Arnali Das as Bulbul
* Banita Thakuriya as Bonnie
* Manoranjan Das as Suman
* Manabendra Das
* Pakija Begam

## Reception
### Critical response

Bulbul Can Sing mostly received positive reviews from critics. Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "quietly insightful" which "has a pleasing simplicity and realism", while Wendy Ide of Screen described it as "a heartfelt, acutely honest portrait of rural Indian adolescence."
Among Indian critics, Anirudh Bhattacharyya of Outlook felt that with this film director Das had surpassed the expectations raised by her previous directorial Village Rockstars. According to Sonal Pandya of Cinestaan, Das has matured as a filmmaker with this film and the film's beginning and end were bookended nicely. Aswathy Gopalakrishnan also praised the film for its subtle take on feminism and patriarchy.

### Accolades

| Festival or Award | Category | Recipient(s)/nominee(s) | Result |
| 66th National Film Awards | Best Feature Film in Assamese | Bulbul Can Sing | Won |
| Jio MAMI Film Festival 2018: Golden Gateway | India Gold | Bulbul Can Sing | Won |
| 29th Singapore International Film Festival: Silver Screen Award | Best Asian Feature Film | Bulbul Can Sing | Nominated |
| 29th Singapore International Film Festival: Silver Screen Award | Best Performance - Asian Feature Film | Manoranjan Das | Won |
| 2019 Berlin International Film Festival | Special Mention - Generation 14plus | Bulbul Can Sing | Won |
| 13th Asian Film Awards 2019 | Best New Director | Rima Das | Nominated |
| 2019 Dublin International Film Festival | Best Director | Rima Das | Won |
| 2019 Osaka Asian Film Festival | Jury Special Mention | Bulbul Can Sing | Won |
| 2019 New York Indian Film Festival | Best Director | Rima Das | Nominated |
| Prag Cine Awards 2019 | Best Film | Bulbul Can Sing | Won |
| Prag Cine Awards 2019 | Best Actor (Female) | Anjali Das | Won |
| Prag Cine Awards 2019 | Best Actor (Male) | Monoranjan Das | Won |
| Prag Cine Awards 2019 | Best Cinematography | Rima Das | Won |
| Prag Cine Awards 2019 | Global Icon Award | Rima Das | Won |
| 2019 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne | Best Indie Film | Bulbul Can Sing | Won |
| 10th Jagran Film Festival | Best Director | Rima Das | Won |