Tumbbad is the latest offering from the stable of Anand Gandhi who collaborates with Sohum Shah once again

Aanand L Rai comes on board to give flight to their vision and should I say, the pay off is truly rewarding

Rahi Anil Barve and Adesh Prasad co-direct this venture which happens to be their debut which is based on a Marathi Novel by  Shripad Narayan Pendse‘s: Tumbadche Khot

This saga of folklore and fantasy is played out through 3 different timelines all of which include the same character, our protagonist Vinayak Rao

The story plays with the folklore of the Demon God Hastar and how the allegiance of Rao’s ancestors to this deity brings them blessings

Alas, the blessings aren’t accorded with out their share of curses

The journey of Vinayak Rao and his greed in his lust of pursuing Hastar and his treasure is what makes up this tale

What makes Tumbbad so attractive and gripping?

To begin with:

• The execution of this story which is crisp and razor-sharp
• The Build Up to the point where we as audiences are bought face to face with the horror
• The Descent of the Protagonist into his vices as he keeps gaining the treasure
• The Production Design that does a fabulous job of giving us a true feel of claustrophobia
• Cinematography that is captured in frames that will stifle your breath, make you feel caged and confine you to corners that you never wish existed
• The Performances that are so believable that you readily go downhill along with the characters as you witness them spiraling out of control
• The character arc of Rao(Sohum Shah) throughout his journey shows us his lust and greed for MORE. For him, Nothing is Enough….
• The VFX although might look patchy but still manages to evoke a sense of dread and terror
• The Back ground score is visceral and haunting as the story plays out adding to the overall feeling of doom.

A score like this is nothing less than being compared to any international production and I should say that in itself is a moment of Pride for Indian Cinema

So, the VERDICT on Tumbbad?

This is truly a landmark moment for Indian Horror as Barve/Gandhi/Rai/Prasad have created a movie that will be talked about for years to come

The parables, allegories and metaphors linked to Humans and their Vices are on full display through out this Horror Fantasy

It’s upon us to spot them and savor them while the story is being told

Please do not miss this one in Theaters; Movies like these deserve as large an AUDIENCE as possible

Hats off to Mr Anand Gandhi for having delivered the finest Fantasy – Horror of this decade!

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