Underplayed Gems

Tumbbad (2018)

Tumbbad poster
Original title
तुम्बाड
Directed by
Rahi Barve, Anand Gandhi
Genre
horror film, adventure film, historical drama
Country
India
Runtime
1h 53m
Rated
A
Rating
7.6 of 10 from 339 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A man named Vinayak becomes obsessed with finding a hidden treasure in a cursed Indian village. The treasure is linked to a dark supernatural force that demands a terrible price.

atmospherichauntingslow-burnmythologicalforebodingvisually denseeeriebrooding

What happens

Tumbbad is a 2018 period folk cosmic horror film directed by Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi, and written by Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Barve, and Anand Gandhi. It stars Sohum Shah in the lead role as Vinayak Rao, and follows the story of his search for a hidden 20th century treasure in the Indian village of Tumbbad, Maharashtra. Barve began writing the script in 1993, inspired by a story by the Marathi writer Narayan Dharap. He completed the first draft in 1997, when he was 18 years old. From 2009 to 2010, he created a 700-page storyboard for the film. It was shot in 2012 but after editing, Barve and Shah were not satisfied with the results. The film was re-written and re-shot, with filming completed by May 2015. Jesper Kyd composed the original score while Ajay–Atul contributed a song to the soundtrack. Tumbbad premiered in the critics' week section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival, the first Indian film to be screened there. It was released theatrically on 12 October 2018 to generally positive reviews, with critics praising the story, the production design, and the cinematography. Made on a production budget of ₹15 crore (US$1.6 million), the film grossed a total of ₹53.46 crore (US$5.6 million) from its initial run and 2024 re-release (the latter of which became the second highest-grossing re-released Indian film). It received eight nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards winning three for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Sound Design. Over time, it has gained a cult following and is considered to be one of the best Hindi horror films.. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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