Tumbbad

TUMMBAD REVIEW
Tummbad is a fictional period piece drama written and directed by Rahi Anil Barve and
inspired by the stories of Marathi writer Narayan Dharap. The film is set in western
Maharashtra against the backdrop of British rule in India. The film is divided into three acts.
The first act is set in 1918, the second act in the pre-independence era and the third act in
the post-independence era. Throughout the film, we follow the journey of Vinayak Rao,
played by Sohum Shah and his quest to find the mysterious and mythical treasure of
Tumbbad. The film revolves around fictional mythology that says “The Goddess of
prosperity, who created this universe, is protecting her greedy child (Hastar) from the wrath
of the gods by hiding him in her womb, under the condition that no one worships him.” The
greedy nature of the human race instead starts worshiping and idolizing Hastar, due to
which the gods wreak havoc on Tumbbad in the form of rains.
The movie takes place nearly over five decades and three generations and yet the
underlying narrative remains the same. The film deals with the themes of greed, betrayal,
disloyalty and decadence. As far as originality is concerned Tummbad has to be right up
there with the best. As a matter of fact, nothing like it has been tackled in Indian cinema
before. The closest stylistic comparison that can be drawn is the films of Mexican director
Guillermo del Toro. Rahi Anil Barve’s screenplay is crisp and keeps you engaged throughout
the film. The first half an hour of the film is great at building suspense and horror and keeps
you on the edge of your seat. This movie simply cannot be put into the horror genre
because it is doing so much more than that. It deals with the innate characteristic of greed
and how it completely possesses Vinayak Rao. The movie does a great job by blurring the
lines between monsters and men and makes us think about the greed of humanity that is
apparent in this modern age. Barve’s direction is great as the film takes you through a roller
coaster of emotions from fear to laughter to sheer disgust. For a debutant director, this film
is an extraordinary cinematic achievement.
Sohum Shah who plays Vinayak Rao is brilliant throughout the film. He oozes charisma and
swagger in the film as a man who has it all. In the latter part of the film, his performance is
excellent as he starts to age and is consumed by greed and indulgence. Jyoti Malshe who
plays Vinayak’s mother in the first act of the film also does a brilliant job. She emotes well
through her eyes which is an excellent attribute for any actor. Anita Date and Ronjini
Chakraborty who play Vinayak’s wife and mistress respectively also deliver great
performances. Mohammad Samad who plays Vinayak’s child also does a great job in the
third act of the film.
Tumbbad is one of the most aesthetically pleasing films to come out of India in recent times.
Pankaj Kumar who is the director of photography of this film has earned tremendous
acclaim due to his visual storytelling. Pankaj's dark and gritty colour palette suits the film
tremendously. The candlelit hallways, cloudy and rainy weather and vibrant reds give the
film a very haunting and mystical look. He's an expert in creating dark and intense worlds
which can be seen in some of his other films like Haider and Ship of Theseus. The pre-
independence era Pune has also been shown very beautifully in the film and it transports
you into that era.
When it comes to the production design and the score of this film, expectations are
exceeded. The different decades in the film have been brought to life by great costumes and
properties. One such example is the record player that Vinayak buys during the film which
instantly gives you the idea of the period. Jesper Kyd a Danish composer who is famous for
his videogame scores has delivered one of the most beautiful scores in recent times. The
use of melancholic cello, intense drums, clapping, snapping and hauntingly beautiful
Bulgarian choir completely immerse you into this magical world. The legendary Marathi duo
Ajay-Atul has composed the energetic and intense title track for the film. The soundtrack of
this film is immersive and it enriches the film.
The only grievance with the film is that during a few shots the prosthetic makeup and visual
effects feel a bit unnatural. Tumbbad has still done a better job than most of the other films
in India tackling this genre. The visual effects are excellent in some shots while in others
they don’t seem natural enough. This inconsistency might be a budget issue as Tumbbad is a
pretty low budget film. This might be the only point of criticism of the film.
The completely original concept, nuanced performances, great visual and audial storytelling
combined with great writing and direction has earned Tumbbad the plaudits it deserves.
The film has earned global acclaim due to its universal themes of greed and decadence and
has been screened at many acclaimed international festivals like Venice. Six years in the
making, Tumbbad has been one of the most ambitious projects to come out of India in
recent times. The film’s magical and mystical realm is truly awe-inspiring. It is a truly unique
cinematic experience for which it deserves more attention and praise.
Soumitra Shenolikar
11/12/19

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TUMMBAD REVIEW

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