Spoilers ahead…
Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/tumbbad-review-horror-film-rahi-anil-barve-baradwaj-rangan-venice-film-festival-2018
The Venice Critics’ Week was inaugurated with Rahi Anil Barve and Adesh Prasad’s non-Competition entry, Tumbbad — that’s the name of the very rainy village in which the story unfolds. Technically, though, the section was inaugurated with Toni D’Angelo’s 20-minute Italian short, Nobody’s Innocent, which played before Tumbbad, like the first part of a double bill. In some ways, this was a very “Indian” film, too, given its theme of how hate speech poisons even educated minds, by stereotyping certain sections of society as “evil.” Towards the end, it became clear why Nobody’s Innocent was a fit with Tumbbad, which has been promoted as horror movie. The latter is fantastical horror, while the former’s horrors are all too real — in some ways, it’s scarier.
But again, technically speaking, Tumbbad — which begins in 1918 and ends a little after Independence — isn’t exactly a “horror” movie. It’s more like a ghoulish Panchatantra fable, a morality tale based on the works of Marathi horror writer, Narayan Dharap, and harking back to Mahatma Gandhi’s warning: “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.” The protagonist is Vinayak (a superb Sohum Shah). When he was a boy, his widowed mother (Jyoti Malshe) aspired for one mudra, or gold coin. But even then, the young Vinayak wants more. He’s heard of a great treasure buried in a local palace. And when he grows up and marries and has a son (Pandurang, beautifully played by Mohammad Samad), the boy wants even more than his father did. (It’s hilarious. Vinayak “trains” his son in the family business the way a lawyer or accountant would.) The greed grows with generations.
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2018 Film Companion.
Baradwaj Rangan 
ramitbajaj01
October 10, 2018
How do films get selected in these festivals? And why are Indian movies generally in non-competition category? Or put in a different way, why, in the main category, is the presence of Indian movies hardly felt each year? Is it really because of the quality?
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e221206
October 11, 2018
It’s good to have great discussion on off topic..But what about discussions on “On topic”…A rare 4 star review on one of Indias best original horror movies and just one comment…one comment…?
I loved this review..I am super excited to watch the movie and this review for sure is going to elevate and enhance my movie watching experience..
” The inner demons that drive our basest desires are far more malevolent than something with supernatural powers”
But just wondering was this theme was not even explored in Indian cinema before ?.
True!!!
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Anu Warrier
October 12, 2018
Horror is not my cup of tea, but this sounds like something I would like to watch – I love fables and allegories. Perhaps, one day.
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brangan
October 12, 2018
A comment on a movie. Finally. Tears of joy and gratitude happening. Thank you, Anu. Thank you.
As you can see, recent events have made me a tad dramatic 😛
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Anu Warrier
October 12, 2018
Ha! Your own fault, BR, your own fault. Who asked you to put two of the most volatile of topics up for discussion?
You’re welcome, by the way. 🙂
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sanjana
October 12, 2018
People are more interested in general topics than cinema. Cinema is timepass while general topics are passion for many including self. Politics, liberal, Bhakt, women, bans etc. etc,
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sanjana
October 12, 2018
Tumbbad can be remade in hindi and some regional languages for a wider reach.
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brangan
October 12, 2018
sanjana: Cinema is timepass…
Oh, to hear these words on THIS blog.
I. Need. Smelling. Salts. Right. Now.
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Anu Warrier
October 12, 2018
‘Timepass’? Dear, oh dear….
Offering BR some smelling salts and a fainting couch
(Which, by the way, I need as well.)
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sanjana
October 12, 2018
Well, cinema is a diversion for me from everyday problems. While the everyday developments affect me personally. Some of them, I mean.
Timepass is not frivolousness for me. It is entertainment’s slang form. I should have used entertainment instead of timepass. I would have hurt less and smelling salts need not have been used! Or is there another way to express?
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nikkie1602
October 12, 2018
Hello BR…can you do a write up on horror in Indian cinema? There are such interesting things happening with this genre right now..in Hollywood especially (what with the post-horror films like The Witch, A ghost story and the recent and truly horrifying Hereditary)… I thought Pari was quite an interesting one and have read something on a recent Marathi movie Lapachhapi..
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tejas
October 12, 2018
Since you have done your part re-posting your original festival post on the movie, let me do the same by re-posting my comment on the original post. 😝
Wow, so Bollywood cannot do the genres it was originally good at very well now (romcoms, masala, musicals) but churns out good horror movies more frequently.
What has changed? Do you think the writing has started to become more mature?
The genre has seen great growth internationally over the last couple of years – do you feel there is more to its success? Like how we are fucked up as a species and the planet? 😀
I remember you were not a huge fan of the genre itself. Are we seeing you converting with these better horror movies? 😉
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Vikram S
October 12, 2018
Smelling salts… someone is getting dramatic by the day :))
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Sutheesh Kumar
October 12, 2018
Congratulations BR, your review is on Rotten Tomatoes☺️
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ravenus1
October 13, 2018
Saw Tumbbad today, which is IMO the best Indian horror movie ever, with a strong script and incredibly good shadowy visuals and great sound design (although I will cut a point for the loud RGV-esque background score). Focused direction and a solid lead performance from Sohum Shah (who also produced the film).
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Manikandan
October 13, 2018
How easy or difficult it is to mix wheat and gold – thanks for your timely review BR – Movie stands alone beautifully
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theboredgirl (@lostandstill)
October 13, 2018
I haven’t seen Tumbbad but from the trailer and photo montage available online, it immediately reminded of me of this old Japanese film “Onibaba” which again I haven’t seen but it’s on my wish list and hope to catch it real soon. It is strange because I haven’t seen both these films but just by the looks of it, it feels like they have a common link about the way they have been shot and the characters in a dark, doomed tragic sort of way.
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Vidya Ramesh
October 13, 2018
What exactly are smelling salts btw? Iam just asking. I can see BR face palming as iam going off topic 😉 the last horror movie I ve seen in a theatre is probably bhoot..way back. I feel horror as a genre is drawing more people to the cinema halls as it is definitely something that feels different in a theatre vs watching alone. I read a lot of people saying that A quiet place was a great movie and PPL stopped chewing popcorn in the halls. That’s some thing you can’t get at home. Have you seen a quiet place mr BR ? I don’t remember reading your thoughts on it.
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ramitbajaj01
October 14, 2018
“Why, for instance, was Vinayak’s mother entrusted with the task of caring for, in her home, a witch-like woman whose gnarled skin suggests she was born even before the mother goddess?”
Sir, she was Vinayak’s great-grandmother! So, it’s family. Hence the duty to care.
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Anu Warrier
October 14, 2018
Vidya, smelling salts are strong ammonia-based salts that are used to bring unconscious people back to consciousness.
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Devarsi Ghosh
October 15, 2018
Speaking of make-your-own-metaphor, was the “Bapu so ja, varna Hastar aa jayega” in the end like a reference/warning to Mahatma Gandhi who could be trapped by the greed to become independent India’s political father (this scene happens right after independence), and hence he should… sleep?
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ramitbajaj01
October 15, 2018
Spoilers ahead:
In the last escape, why didn’t they throw all the wheat dolls out for the demons to eat? And did the father think he won’t be touched by the demon if he covered himself with wheat dolls?
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ravenus1
October 19, 2018
PLOT SPOILERS
@ramitbajaj01: The answer to both question is, the father did that so he would draw attention away from the son long enough to allow the latter to escape, because in any other circumstance, there would not have been enough time to distract the demon(s) and both would have been attacked.
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Sai Ashwin
October 21, 2018
This film is easily the best horror movie made in India even the CGI was great which is usually not the case with Indian films.
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Viv
December 3, 2018
2 months 2 late but pretty miffed with myself that I didn’t catch this movie in cinemas and had to be content with watching it on Amazon prime. I read something about ‘narrative tension’ or the lack of it in a recent review and this one had everything. ‘Horror’,Myth, exceptional imagery, mystery and a bit of history. Exceptional work.
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Sakkaravarthi
December 11, 2018
Thank god for Prime, else I would have totally missed this amazing movie. Shouldn’t fable be its own genre, seeing horror doesn’t fit this movie much.
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Anu Warrier
December 13, 2018
I just watched this film and was blown away. I agree with @Sakkaravarthi (I kept reading his name as Chakkavaratti, which should be a sign to the Gods that I really need some right now!) that this was more a fable than horror. But god, it was intense. I really loved the attention to detail with the Maharashtrian Brahmin background of the protagonist, the costumes, etc. Lovely film, and I wish it had been released in a theatre here.
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sanjana
December 13, 2018
Tried to watch it. Too esoteric for me. Got scared somewhat. Maybe in a theatre, I would have liked it more. Or as a book.
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Sakkaravarthi
December 13, 2018
@Anu Warrier Exactly, any other mediocre director would have just symbolically put the womb as merely a room with gold in it just to save cost. The set design really serves this movie. The parallel between his aging body and the slowly crumbling castle, I am still in the movie. This is a rare occasion where I regret not watching it in the theatre.
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Gerat pholpho
February 27, 2019
Disappointing review Baradwaj Rangan! Expected better from you on this movie. One of the best movies I have seen in a while. The allegory of what greed can do to you and your family is scary and as it is with wealth, its never enough! Awesome movie…must watch!
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Voldemort
September 10, 2022
Caught the film on Prime today. Holy shit which rock did I live under when this was released in the theatres! What a fantastic film this was. What a wonderfully creepy creature the Dadi is! That scene where Vinayak goes to talk to her made the skin crawl, it’s hands down one of the scariest moments I’ve ever seen. Hastar is a mindboggling creature and the story of how he was removed from history was very clever. Agree that this is more a Panchatantra-esque fable (golden egg laying goose) than a horror film. It’s been two hours and I still can’t get the gorgeous red and gold images out of my head.
Also the last scene when the son closes the door and we are seeing him from the inside – It becomes pitch dark once the door is closed, but a second later, through the crevices on the door there are two small flashes of light which are almost like someone’s blinking eyes, telling that this story is far from over. Damn. Such a brilliant film.
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Vikas Bhargava
November 9, 2023
Just saw Tumbbad and was amazed at the depth and smartness of the screenplay at layering a story about greed, religious corruption and caste oppression into a thrilling ghost fable. And I thought maybe the most erudite film critic in India may have gotten excited about such a rare film having both technical finesse and literary depth but found myself severely disappointed at the lack of a review of this movie. Hmm what happened here? Mr Rangan did you get scared delving into the real message in this movie wary of courting controversy? When we wish for food cinema, it also needs its cheerleaders for elevating the level of cinema consumption in India but I find it amazingly deflating that virtually zero movie reviewers have even attempted to outline and analyze the meat and bones of this movie. Its shame really. I know what this is so and it becomes even more sad. Well we all have to survive in this “greedy” country don’t we. “So jao movie reviewers warna Hastar aa jayega”
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