‘Tumbbad’ Rerelease Scores at Box Office, Sequel Confirmed

Arty 2018 Indian horror film “Tumbbad” has belatedly found new life at the box office. Its 2024 rerelease in India has grossed $1.5 million and counting.

This success compares with the film’s initial $2 million global haul six years ago and breathes new energy into what has become a cult favorite.

“Tumbbad,” which follows a greedy village boy’s pursuit of a cursed ancestral treasure guarded by the devil, was the first Indian film to open the Venice Critics’ Week in 2018. It went on to win a brace of awards at Sitges among many other accolades. The project, an India-Sweden co-production, was shot over four monsoon seasons and took six years to complete.

Actor-producer Sohum Shah has confirmed that a sequel is in the works, with production set to begin in 2025. “The script is ready, took us six years to perfect it,” Shah told Variety. “We cracked the idea with massive difficulty to ensure it does justice to ‘Tumbbad’s’ world.”

While co-director Rahi Anil Barve won’t be returning for the sequel due to other commitments, Adesh Prasad, who co-directed the original “Tumbbad,” is set to helm the new instalment. “Rahi won’t be a part of ‘Tumbbad 2’ as much as we’d love it. He has some fantastic work that is creating and is coming up and has a jam packed schedule. I am super excited for the world to see his work and the stuff he’ll give the audiences. Rahi’s stamp however will always be on ‘Tumbbad’ and its universe,” Shah said.

Barve is currently working on Netflix India’s first action-fantasy series, “Rakt Bramhand – The Bloody Kingdom,” alongside creators Raj & DK.

Shah elaborated on the challenges of developing the sequel: “A lot of people – fans, friends, peers, colleagues included – would keep telling me to make ‘Tumbbad 2,’ but I was certain that if we don’t crack the correct idea and story – we will not do justice to this universe. Over six years – we came up with so many ideas, got excited with the vision, thought it was working and then realized it wasn’t. So we started from scratch again.”

The actor-producer is elated with the rerelease’s box office performance: “The box office success tells me this film reached a wide audience. When I was making ‘Tumbbad,’ it wasn’t made with the intent of creating it for OTT [streaming], back in 2012, OTTs didn’t even exist.”

“We had designed it with creating a theatrical, cinematic experience for the audiences – it is a perfect marriage,” Shah added. “The cinematography, VFX, production design, scale shots – we wanted to create a mood with this film for its audiences – so much so that when the audiences step out of the theater after watching it – they actually wonder ‘Oh it isn’t raining?’”

Barve attributes the film’s enduring appeal to its visual storytelling. “It needs to be experienced on a large screen,” Barve said. “When a significant number of the audience learned about ‘Tumbbad’ via OTT, they expressed their regret of not having watched it in the cinema hall.”

Barve added, “They are now flocking to cinema halls because of the anticipation of a better experience. They have an idea of what the film is about and they want to experience it better. I think it’s a strange mixture of familiarity and adventure that is driving the audience to the cinema halls.”

The film’s journey from its initial release to its successful rerun highlights the growing trend of audience-driven revivals in the Indian film industry. Shah noted the overwhelming response on social media: “The way the audiences have championed and become advocates for ‘Tumbbad’ on social media is truly something I didn’t imagine and I’m utterly humbled by it.”

He continued, “I’ve read comments on social media where fans are talking about watching ‘Tumbbad’ multiple times and regretting that they didn’t catch it in theatres back in 2018. Who would’ve thought and what better reception for the audiences can I ask for?”

Barve echoed this sentiment: “First of all, I need to acknowledge the love and support ‘Tumbbad’ has received over the last six years. I am utterly grateful to my audience. They made ‘Tumbbad’ what it is today.”

Looking ahead, Shah envisions a broader universe for “Tumbbad.” “We always had one vision in mind, even when we were making the first ‘Tumbbad,’ the world of ‘Tumbbad’ in itself is a franchise – it’s an incredibly meaty universe. I honestly want that we make various and different types of films of the ‘Tumbbad’ universe – sequel, prequel, spin-offs, reboots etc – the whole ecosystem.”

Despite the commercial success, both filmmakers remain focused on the film’s deeper themes. Barve reflected, “All I can say about ‘Tumbbad’ is that it needs to be experienced in a cinema hall and that the film offers a lesson to all of us. Greed will destroy everything that is valuable to us so we need to introspect about our own desires and ambitions.”