Bujji At Anupatti Movie Review : A children’s film with limited appeal

Bujji At Anupatti Movie Synopsis: In a rural village, a young girl named Durga forms a deep bond with an abandoned baby goat she names Bujji. When Bujji is sold by her alcoholic father, Durga, her brother Saravanan, and their friend Darshini go on a mission to rescue their beloved goat, encountering a cast of characters along the way.

Bujji At Anupatti Movie Review: Durga (Pranithi Sivasankaran) and Saravanan (Karthik Vijay) are transformed by their connection with Bujji. Saravanan, who used to eat meat, changes his mind after seeing Bujji’s innocence and promises to never eat goat meat again. However, the children are devastated by their dad’s actions and they decide to rescue Bujji by raising money. They skip school and go on a journey, encountering different characters in town. Some are kind and supportive, while others represent the harsh realities of a world where innocence is often taken advantage of.

So here’s the thing: Bujji at Anupatti wants to tug at your heartstrings with a classic tale of childhood innocence and animal compassion. Durga’s heartbreak when Bujji disappears is supposed to be our emotional anchor, the driving force behind the entire narrative. It’s a familiar formula, one that’s worked countless times in children’s stories, but in Bujji at Anupatti, things don’t click.

The film has its heart in the right place. There’s a certain sweetness to the way Durga and her brother Saravanan interact with Bujji, and their determination to rescue the goat is undeniably endearing. It’s also not preachy, though the subject is very preachable. There are some nice little touches like how they show Saravanan turning down meat. It’s done subtly, and we want more of that to connect with the film.

The execution is where things unravel. The narrative lacks a clear sense of purpose or direction. It’s a series of episodic encounters with adults who are either caricatures of cruelty or virtue, leaving little room for nuance or realism. And here‘s the biggest problem: we never really feel a connection with Bujji. The filmmakers tell us repeatedly how much Durga loves this goat, but we don’t see enough of their bond, those little moments of tenderness and shared joy that would make Bujji’s disappearance genuinely heart-wrenching. As a result, the children’s quest to rescue Bujji turns into a ‘why kids shouldn’t venture out alone’ story. There’s a lot more telling than showing. Trite dialogues that add little, scenes that are obvious and rudimentary. You’d definitely want to skip 10 seconds now and then.

Karthik Vijay and Pranithi Sivasankaran as the child actors give a commendable performance and are organic. Thankfully, the makers didn't 'adultify' them with over-the-top dialogues. The grownups they encounter are one-dimensional and hinder their progress. Kamal Kumar who plays Shiva, the estate owner and a kind of godfather to these kids, has a good presence. Nakkalites Vaideeswari has some neat little moments as the kid’s mom.

Bujji at Anupatti is a film that stumbles despite its good intentions. It aims for heartwarming, but ends up saccharine. A more adept approach with emotional depth would have enhanced it for adult audiences.

Written by: Abhinav Subramanian