Can a horror movie be less about same old scare tricks and more about morality, greed and human nature? Tumbbad is that “what a movie!” of the year for me.
It is a sign of our times, and Indian movie going audience, that I could count the number of blokes in the balcony of Victory Theatre, Pune with my fingers. The one seated two rows ahead of me had come to clearly while away time. He was tinkering away at the cell phone, but he had to tuck away the phone two minutes in to the movie. He had to. Such is the allure of good cinema, the seduction of watching a story unfold in a darkened room on the big screen.
Tumbbad movie story: Sort of…Â
I don’t remember the last time I left the cinema hall with the thought, “Wow, what a movie experience, what atmospherics!”
The unseen horror that haunts Tumbbad is greed – overpowering every other emotion – even the fear of death in Vinayak Rao (Sohum Shah). Vinayak’s elder son Pandurang (Mohammad Samad) inherits the same rotting, insatiable greed.
The story begins with Vinayak telling Pandurang about why a cursed god is a boon for the village of Tumbbad.
That is all you need to know.
For, the best movies are best experienced.
Creative force
The movie makers stay away from cheap thrills and gore, redundant horror film staple.
Instead, screenplay writers Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve and Anand Gandhi (Barve, Gandhi and Prasad – also the movie’s co-directors) weave the wisdom of fables like Aesop’s Fables and Panchatantra to add soul to this awe-inspiring movie experience.
What works for Tumbbad is the gently revealing nature of the plot. The mystery of the treasure, its source, and how the terror is finally revealed is a masterclass in horror movie filmmaking. The makers also realise that extending or repeating the main premise of treasure-snatching will risk dulling the impact. Another horror movie masterclass lesson – Know where and when to wind up. The makers of Tumbbad certainly knew.
Superb art direction, atmosphereÂ
The idol of Hastar with a gold coin, the stunning recreation of pre-independent India, the treasure chest that leads down to a blood red chamber, a naked beating heart, are among the many memorable elements from Tumbbad. Shout out to art directors Raj Dagar and Santosh Narayan Shetty. Made at a modest budget, the essence of Tumbbad is then in its tight, dedicated production values.
Applause also to the makeup artists and prosthetic makeup crew – Shrikant Desai, Gurpreet Dhuri, Akash Gour, Zuby Johal, Sandeep Rajput, Harpreet Singh, Rakesh Kumar Soni, Rajiv Subba and Serina Tixeria. Why do we take the trouble to mention the entire makeup crew? If the makeup team had not done their thing, Tumbbad wouldn’t have worked as a horror drama.
The performances by the ensemble cast lead by Sohum Shah add bulge to the exceptional big screen experience Tumbbad is. Jyoti Malshe, Rudra Soni, Anita Date-Kelkar, Ronjini Chakraborty and Mohammad Samad put in strong performances.
Though the background music and soundtrack are not as brilliant as the film’s other aspects, Tumbbad stands on its own, because of its immersive atmospherics and creative bloom.
Tumbbad review
Almost every scene in Tumbbad conveys how sheer storytelling can hold an audience.
The irritating glare from those stray cell phone addicts’ screens switched off in the cinema hall few minutes into the start, as the movie’s hypnotic power wrapped us all like a predatory reptile.
Enough said.
If you are a cinema lover, don’t miss Tumbbad on the big screen.
