“For the mother she died. For the mother she will rise.”
Anahita, traumatized by the sudden disappearance of her mother, finds solace with Shalini, her history teacher. During an unconventional school excursion to a mysterious ancient site, she confronts her terrifying destiny.
Multiple Layers
Are myths and legends merely the written records of the past, or can we still reinterpret the world through new concepts and symbols, evolving them from those that already exist? Bokshi, directed by Bhargav Saikia and written by Harsh Vaibhav, aims to take this rarely attempted shot in today’s cinematic landscape (especially here). Saikia’s feature debut delves into the concepts of semiotics to extract from its depths a unique mythological piece, incorporating feminist symbolism as well.
The film opens with a gaping, jagged black hole reminiscent of the Vagina Dentata – a term used in semiotics to designate the ancestral symbol of the danger of coveting women and of dissuasion from rape and violence perpetrated against them – surrounded by a cornucopian spiral of stones representing abundance and plenitude while a scarlet light reminiscent of the Muladhara plunges the spectator into an atmosphere of fear. The Muladhara is the root chakra associated with the element of earth, located at the base of our pelvis, and governs emotions related to survival (eating, drinking, sleeping, shelter, reproduction, etc.), stability, and security. This energetic basin is also intimately linked to how we feel in our own bodies, so it is no surprise that blockages in it are related to visceral and subversive fear.
What is good about Hinduism, and how it deals with chakras, is the notion of including imbalances, not only spiritual but also physiological. Indeed, it is explained how an imbalance of the Muladhara can be at the origin of symptoms such as intestinal disorders, sudden weight loss or gain, and even incontinence. Anahita, played by Prasanna Bisht, wears diapers despite being 17 years old since the traumas related to the loss of her mother haunt her in increasingly vivid dreams. As a result, an implausible characteristic is transformed into a disorder easily identifiable by the spectator, which can then be located at the base of the protagonist’s identity energy.
Hyperventilation
The sound design is spot-on when it comes to evoking terror, but the pop music tracks – particularly during the end credits – leave one cold and simply don’t do justice to the depth of the work. Bokshi nonetheless manages to keep its audience on the edge of their seats when it matters. It must be said that a horror film exceeding 120 minutes is already a lot, but here the sauce is stretched even further with almost 3 hours of viewing time.
I would appreciate more consideration from the filmmakers in the future to include – in the manner of Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey – an intermission as in the theater. It’s frustrating to have to miss part of a film at the cinema (especially when you pay for the ticket) for a bathroom break and be told you missed the best moment.
It is difficult to predict when it is possible to divert one’s attention from a film, especially when one has not seen it, or when the speed with which the story unfolds is sporadic as in the present case. Giving respite to the narrative flow is essential to not lose the attention of one’s audience and allow them to properly understand the unfolding, but it is not necessary to explain things that we are going to see to slow down the flow. Mr. Bhargav Saikia’s film explains too much and doesn’t show enough in proportion to the total length of his work. There are at least two moments where the characters speak for more than ten minutes in exchanges that could have been reworked to last only a few tens of seconds.
The transcendental and subjective scenes remain extremely lyrical and significant, allowing for a relatively easy understanding of the diegesis, as well as the subtext relating to the meaning of the work as such. If we had a small podcast to talk about cinema in a more technical way, Bokshi would undoubtedly be ideal for discussing some more vague subjects in cinematography.
Of course, I try to make a concise summary when I mention notions like the Vagina Dentata or reflexivity, but if you know the complexity behind the implementation of a powerful symbolism like this one, I am sure you also know how much it is possible to abandon oneself to reflecting on it for a long time. A solemn thank you to that learned university professor who imparted much of his knowledge to me and who does not like to have his name on the Web (promise kept, my dear).
Stumbling to Get Back Up
An excellent film, but the points it loses in my critique are important to emphasize, as they are to be avoided if one wants to avoid losing one’s audience in the future. The problem is far from being at the audio-video level, but it remains technical nonetheless. The screenplay itself is good, however the introduction with Anahita’s grandmother and her departure for her new school residences is much too long. This resolves a state of commotion in the audience provoked by the soporific nature of certain moments whose exposition exponentially accentuates the desire to sleep for a moment while waiting for the film to return to the essentials. A shame because the final product is, in my opinion, very well done and goes beyond what horror cinema offers at the moment in North America and especially in Canada.
How good it is to be able to use the pages of yesterday to better write the stories we tell ourselves today. Anxious – even afraid – of not appropriating more cultures than colonialism has already stolen, our leaders refuse the cultural association essential to the construction of one that is more representative of our time. Inclusion is not about allowing the practice of the beliefs or customs of other cultures within our own, but rather about working to include the beliefs and customs of others in what we already have. Why deprive ourselves of mentioning the wisdom contained in the Hindu Vedas, or the words of Buddha as we appreciate those of Christianity? Why pretend that we do not practice martial arts, yoga and many sports that do not originate from here? Let’s not be hypocrites, Canadian culture is not only the fur trade, maple syrup and the manufacture of arrowheads. Canada is also about welcoming with open arms, it is about being interested in the stories of others to equip ourselves with a less restricted field of vision when it comes to looking at the world, it is a chalet with a cozy fire in the fireplace where it is good to come to shelter when the storm rages outside.
As a screenwriter and director myself, I am enormously happy to see that others seem – at first glance – to have grasped the importance of returning to the sources of what makes us the creatures we are beyond our physical envelope and our modern societies. I deeply wish I could feel this openness to unification on the part of my fellow citizens of a country where it is possible like nowhere else to rewrite our history while taking care not to forget anything in order to move forward together. Our spiritual paths – and therefore through the social and cultural enthusiasm that they generate – are destined to combine in a multiplicity of points of view that can be equivalent or complementary; an infinity of roots and branches to explore for eternity and our greatest contentment for all.
Nevertheless, I have an increasingly unshakeable faith in the advent of a glorious era for us human beings; an awakening far beyond what is currently being said. I sincerely hope that no one will have to sacrifice themselves entirely to achieve it. Horror is fine in the movies, but in real life; it’s starting to be enough, as they say.
Bokshi is presented at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, January 31, February 2 and 8, 2025.
