Tumbbad - Film Review

‘So ja varna Hastar aa jayega!’ kind of dialogues remind us the dialogues used for Gabbar’s character from the Indian cult ‘Sholay’. That is cinema’s folktale, where Tumbbad seems a real one. But it is not the only genre that this film is relying on. Actually, it juggles between horror, fantasy, drama and mythology too.

The film is divided into three parts which consist of the different timeline and different generation of a family. It shows how one could spoil or at least spend his or her life after only one thing. And that one thing is so mysterious that only one person has access to it. It is about a treasure which doesn’t allow one to get all at once and that’s where the three generation time span gets utilized. Hastar is a demon here who lost somewhere years ago with a giant quantity of gold and in a cursed village Tumbbad, Vinayak (The amazing Sohum Shah) and his mother get to know about it and the journey goes on behind it.

The film’s writers have created a new world of own philosophies and regulations where one can die and gets cursed in its own way. It’s like Harry Potter with own world and rules. The earth and his son Hastar creates a new theory. The film sets in the pre-independence and post-independence era. The contexts of that era are smartly used like once the character of Sohum Shah says to a freedom fighter that what he will do now.

The film’s almost 70% of frames are filled with rain and darkness. But the lighting, coloring and cinematography are brilliantly done and keep us wondering about which time of the day it is. The background score is greatly composed but in some scenes, it is unnecessarily highly pitched. There are no songs and that’s where it also scores in the time when Hindi films are being defamed for the unusual placing of songs. It contains a horror feel to it but the co-directors Rahi and Adesh have done an exceptional job with staying away from making it caricaturish or cliched. There are a few still which could be a landmark for upcoming horror films but here they are implanted according to situations only as in one scene young Vinayak’s face covered with flour all over which is scary.

It shows the traditional mindset of human beings towards making temples of anyone. It also subtly demonstrates how lust gets involved in greed. The second part of the story seems little stretched and slipped through the core plot but the thrilling climax saves the film. The editing is tight and provides the necessary feel it requires. The actors have done their job amazingly. Shah has shown us the range of acting with his character’s growth by expressing the greed and terror by calmness. His blurring voice and pauses play a part to make us believe his ageing.

It could be called as an anti-hero story too. Tumbbad is a genre in itself. It exhibits fantasy, Panchantra flavor mythology and least horror as it promises but not a bad thing here.  This mysterious saga is truly never seen before one. The period touch with much detailing is surely there to impress us. Pay special attention to the different locks used for the doors.

Tumbbad, a visually stunning experience, is much deserving as the tale of greed is cinematically trendsetter!

Watch the trailer and decide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN75MPxgvX8

Me With Film's Lead Actor And Producer Sohum Shah At MAMI Festival Opening Ceremony, Gateway Of India, Mumbai