This small-budget cult horror film took 21 years in making, actor-producer sold his house, car for movie, it earned...

One of the most underrated genres in Bollywood is horror. Only a few films could do true justice in scaring the hell out of the audience members. We Indians crave a good scary flick, thus movie franchises like The Conjuring, Annabelle, and Saw have found a market for themselves in India. 

Today, we are talking about a film which is now considered a cult horror movie. This movie wasn't a usual flick filled with bad CGI-rendered ghosts, funny jumpscares, and sleazy scenes to titillate the audience. In fact, this movie is just like a folk story that we love to hear from our elders in our childhood. The concepts of greed, selfishness, and loyalty were beautifully woven into the narrative, and the world of Tumbbad evokes genuine fear in the minds of the audience. Yes, Tumbbad is a horror classic, but the journey of Tumbbad is a case study itself 

Tumbbad: The classic that took 21 years to make

You will be surprised to know that writer-director Rahi Anil Barve wrote the first draft of the Tumbbad in 1997. The title of this film was derived from Shripad Narayan Pendse's Marathi novel Tumbadche Khot. As per media reports, in 2009-2010, Rahi wrote a 700-page storyboard 

Tumbbad's trouble production

After several producers refused to back the project, Tumbbad finally went on floors in 2012. However, Anil wasn't satisfied with the film during the edit. So, the film was re-wrote and re-shot in 2015. 

When Soham had to sell almost everything to make Tumbbad

Tumbbad has faced several difficulties ever since its inception. During the re-shoot, the film went over budget. Producer and lead actor Soham Shah was frustrated with the development hell, and he was almost on the verge of giving up the project. But then, he pushed himself to give a visual treat to the audience. Tumbbad was shot over 5 years and in 4 monsoons. 

Watch a scene from Tumbbad

In an interview with Aaj Tak, Soham revealed that he sold his house, and even his car to complete the film. "By the time the film was made, I was financially exhausted. In these seven years, I had to sell my flat, then sold some more properties and finally even sold my car."

Finally, filmmaker Aanand L Rai backed Tumbbad, and the movie was released in cinemas on October 5, 2018. The 5-crore movie was a major commercial success, earning Rs 15 crore with glowing reviews. Tummbad is a commercial hit, and today it is considered among the few Indian cult horror classics.