Tumbbad

Original, unsettling & enveloped with a dreadful aura, Tumbbad is a wicked blend of fantasy & folklore that makes fab use of its rich & riveting mythology to deliver a dark, delirious nightmare, and is all the more strengthened by its claustrophobic set pieces, ominous camerawork & unrelenting score.

Directed by Rahi Anil Barve, the most impressive bit about his first feature is that it is devoid of the awful gimmicks that destroy most Bollywood horrors. It retains its Indian roots, relies on its chilling ambience to ratchet the tension, and doesn't go overboard with most elements, thus keeping the interest alive until the end.

The remote location, period setting, dilapidated sets, perpetual rain & pitch dark alleys contribute plenty in creating a sense of apprehension that keeps us riveted throughout. The sophisticated camerawork & menacing score further amplify the unsettling vibe. Performances, however, are a bit overdone and certainly could've used some restraint.

Overall, Tumbbad is a welcome entry in Bollywood horror with a level of maturity that most of its counterparts lack. Scoring high marks on storytelling & technical fronts, it is a polished piece of work that puts greater emphasis on atmosphere to derive the chills instead of resorting to tiresome clichés, and is neatly executed by the debutant filmmaker. Definitely worth a shot.

Would you believe me if I tell you the budget of this film is just 5 crores (nearly $700k)? Before you let that fact sink in, would you believe me if I also tell you that this is the director's first ever film? Rahi Anil Barve - remember this name. You might need to speak it when someone asks you who your favourite Bollywood director is. This film was made for 6 years. Keep reading, I will tell you why it took so long.

Tumbbad is set in the village of the same name in Maharashtra. The story is set during the colonial period, and also some of it just after the independence. Though the village exists in real, it is nothing like what has been described in the film. According to the film the village has been cursed for writing the name of Hastar, a demon son of a Goddess who gave birth to 160 million gods. Because of the curse it is always raining in Tumbbad. Since the budget of this film was so low, the filming was only done during monsoon season when it was actually raining in the village. That's how low the budget of the film is - they couldn't even afford fake rain so they had to wait for 6 years to complete the filming.

In spite of the low budget, it does not give the feeling of being cheap at all. In fact if I didn't know better, I'd think this is a very expensive film. The actors aren't popular, but I don't see where the problem is over there. How many of us knew the names of all the actors from Baahubali? Still we watched it, right? So I'd think this is also a regional film. The acting is phenomenal. The horror scenes absolutely give me the creeps. It's perfect in every sense. Even the ending is left on an ambiguous note, enough to leave a shrill down anyone's spine. The posters of this film are also very good, and it's a shame to say that the worst one has been used over here. Look up for the other posters on Google Images.

The reason why Tumbbad failed to cross a huge commercial mark is because it wasn't advertised at all. If I hadn't read an answer on Quora that said it should have been sent to the Oscars instead of Gully Boy, I'd have never even known about its existence. There was literally no talk of it. Sure it has a low budget for making the film, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't spend in the marketing at all. It was so awesome, I for one would have definitely seen it if I had heard about it before. Also the only way to watch it now is through Prime, which will show you this film only if you type the correct spelling in the search box. It's a shame that you can't watch this film unless you know specifically what you're looking for.

I really admire the dedication of the director to make this film. He clearly knew this film wasn't going to be earning those big bucks, yet he continued to make it. This is what happens when you have directors who treat their work not as products but rather as works of art. I really aspire to be a filmmaker of that type. This film will be a very big lesson to me. I wish Rahi Anil Barve a very successful and prosperous career in the future.

The film begins with top notch cinematography.

The story is unique, bringing mythology n the moral subject of human greed.

The story is based on the spooky Indian mythology/horror folktale of a demon who is loaded with gold but deprived of food.

One family has been able to revive the demon by building a temple inside an isolated n creepy mansion. Cos of this the family is ostracised.

The mansion is huge with big doors n fort like walls n only the old father resides in the mansion. The wife/mistress do visit the mansion everyday to give the old husband a hand-job n while she gives him the hand-job, she asks him to hurry up, to which the oldie replies in a funny way.

The wife also inquires about a gold coin which is kept near the demon's idol.

The house of the family is walking distance away from the mansion which is inhabited by the wife n her two kids along with the great great grandmother of the old husband who is being cursed to live forever after the bite of the demon n the old hag needs to be fed regularly while she is asleep or she might resort to cannibalism.

The house is a striking image on top a hill, reminding viewers of isolation in the countryside.

There are no close-by neighbors, as the family is on their own after their ostracisation.

There is something very trance like feel in this movie, especially the weather n the locations.

The constant rain and vivid, well filmed local landscapes are characters themselves.

It is dark n claustrophobic with palpable atmosphere.

Kudos to the cinematographer n director, they did a fantastic job in creating a perpetual and palpable sense of tension and fear.

The director also did a nice job of building a concrete, hypnotizing story without ever having to sacrifice pacing.

The story takes place in a span of thirty years n the details r appropriately handled.

If u notice the mansion in the beginning n after fifteen years, u will see all the details.

Attention has been paid in the local ethnic details, the time period, costumes n architecture.

Also the moral subject of greed n lust are handled very well.

The subject of Sati n female subjugation are sprinkled but not explored.

Soham Shah and the kids gave noteworthy performances.

Appreciate Soham n the producers for producing such a good horror film.

Kudos to the director for a fantastic twist ending.

Love to see a prequel or sequel with more emphasis on the true horror Sati n the demon's backstory.

Tumbbad is not a common movie. It will leave you gripped to your seat making you think "what would happen next". Whole movie is so beautifully shot no wonder it is shot in natural light and the beauty is visible. This movie is a feast for your eyes with cinematic excellence is on full display. You wouldnt even have time to wander off your mind but watch it with eyes wide open. You won't enjoy it on small screen but have to watch in cinema halls. Mind you this movie took 6 years in making can you believe in the perseverance of the people who clung onto movie for 6 years despite harships.

This was something that may give may give 'goosebumps' to the makers of Hollywood movies. This is a movie that will add to the Indian cinema a tons but unfortunately Indian cinema is not prepared for it. The viewers are not prepared for it. We are still into watching that regular melodrama and item songs. I was fantasized for the making of Stree and acting and drama that made it. But after watching this I can proudly appreciate the concept and depth that this movie offers. This shows us what a thriller can be like. The biggest attraction of the movie was the story that was very symbolic of the human craving. Human craving takes you into darkness is the message of the movie . Sohum Shah has played his part powerfully and so has Anita Date. The direction was not orthodox and was original. This is the first movie of its type and definitely Hollywood can learn from it. This is a much an improvement over the Hollywood stories like Annabelle, Conjuring. A must entertainment for all. Watch it, especially if you are not into watching the regular drama that Indian cinema offers like Race 3