I watched Tumbbad a while back, but here I am finally writing about it after watching a podcast with the director and actor Sohum Shah on Beer Biceps. Listening to Shah discuss the journey of bringing Tumbbad to life stirred up everything I felt during the movie, and it hit me just how rare it is to experience a film like this.
Tumbbad was, for me, less about jump-scares or the typical horrors and more about confronting the dark corners of the human mind. The whole time I was watching, I felt an unsettling mix of awe and dread. The film digs deep into something that feels ancient, something raw and terrifying within us—greed. As the story unfolded, I felt as though I was being pulled into the cursed village of Tumbbad itself, like I could feel the dampness of the rain-soaked earth and smell the wet soil.
One line that Sohum Shah mentioned in the podcast was about how Tumbbad is a grandma's folklore and I completely felt that while watching the movie. I’m still haunted by some of those scenes: the red glow of the treasure, the twisted, horrifying image of Hastar, and the sheer darkness in the story’s visuals. Every frame is so beautifully crafted, yet so eerie, that it’s hard to look away. It’s the story that stays with you, whispering in the back of your mind long after you’ve left the theatre.
For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, I’d say go in with an open heart and a strong mind because Tumbbad will dig deep into both. Some movies entertain, some make you think, and some—like Tumbbad—leave a mark on your soul.
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