Going against the traditional movies of youthful, arty rebellion, Venice Film Festival picked Sohum Shah's Tumbbad to open the Critic's Week for the 75th edition. According to the latest reports from Biennale, the Indian horror-thriller has mighty impressed the crowd present for the screening.
Tumbbad is set in 19th-century colonial India. It's a story of a family's dealings with supernatural and the outcome when greed gets better of them.
The section’s artistic director, Giona Nazzaro had described Tumbbad as 'a fast-paced parable about greed' and 'a visionary fantasy film, rich in visual inventions, special effects and blood.'
These Critics' week entries are competing with official selection movies for the Lion of the Future prize, worth $100,000. As of now, Tumbbad seems to have made an impact in that direction.
Here's what International critics' have to say about the movie -
The Hollywood Reporter - Deborah Young
Not a film for the squeamish or claustrophobic, this unusual blend of horror, fantasy and Indian folktales set in the 19th century British Raj recalls a revisited Brothers Grimm, along the lines of Matteo Garrone’s gorily memorable Tale of Tales. Viewers willing to make the imaginative leap into Indian folklore will be rewarded with the foggy atmosphere and turgid emotions of a story full of goose bumps and serious frights.
Screen International - Lee Marshall
Audiences in search of a new world cinema niche to explore may want to bide their time, however, as Rahi Anil Barve’s debut may well be confined to fantasy fests outside of its native land. Set in and around colonial Pune (Maharashtra state’s second city after Mumbai), it’s an initially atmospheric yarn let down by weak stock characters and a long veer into fright-free period drama in its over-long middle section. A re-engagement with horror in a series of delirious CGI-driven scenes set in a goddess’ womb only partly make up for the lull.
Screen Anarchy - J Hurtado
The way the filmmakers have managed to balance this unique and complex concept with a very obvious reverence for Hindi horrors campy roots is wonderful. The film opens with a brief prologue that lays out some of the mythology behind the story of Tumbbad, but it doesn't go so far as to give away anything juicy. If anything, the film allows the viewer to discover more and more layers as it goes along with the prologue as a guide. Tumbbad doesn't shy away from the good stuff, though, there are several good, old-fashioned latex gross outs to go along with the more serious stuff, which makes the old gorehound in me happy.
Co-directed by Rahi Anil Barve and Adesh Prasad, Tumbbad will hit cinemas in India in October.
