New Delhi: Sohum Shah, primarily a businessman from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, invested seven years of his life and even sold his property to produce Tumbbad, a period folklore that is re-releasing in theatres this Friday. Despite the sacrifices, Shah says he has no regrets.
Known for his roles in the National Award-winning film Ship of Theseus and the web series Maharani and Dahaad, Shah shared that the 2018 atmospheric horror drama has proven to be a valuable investment as it has stood the test of time.
"I sold off my property to make Tumbbad and I don't regret it. I have lost money in this line (film industry), but I don’t make films for money. That (financial) security is very important for me. I never had that tension about 'Where will I live? Where will my rent come from?' It was all sorted right from the start," Shah said during an interaction with a newswire.
He added, "I gave seven years of my life to Tumbbad... I know that even if I’m not here, Tumbbad will continue to live on. It’s great that we are talking about it even after six years. I believe people will talk about it even more in 10 years from now. I’m from real estate and Tumbbad has been a good investment."
The actor explained that his top priorities are food, shelter, and his children’s upbringing and education. "My passion comes next and I’m so passionate that I can sacrifice anything else for it," he said.
Directed by Rahi Anil Barve, Tumbbad premiered in the critics' week section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival in 2018. The Hindi film, set in a village in Maharashtra, delves into Vinayak Rao’s (Shah) descent into greed and obsession as he hunts for a mythical treasure guarded by the malevolent entity Hastar.
Shah noted that over time, audiences have recognised that Tumbbad is a film meant to be experienced on the big screen. "Whenever you read anything about this film on social media, people say we have made an event film. It’s like a festival. Some people say they were lucky enough to watch it in theatres then. One person even mentioned that he regrets watching it on OTT and wishes he had seen it in a theatre. Now, he will get that opportunity."
He continued, "No other film has had this kind of discourse around it. People realised that this film is not meant to be watched on OTT; it is a cinema movie. The reason is that it has been made in such a manner, with its VFX, background, and cinematography."
Shah also mentioned that the film did not reach audiences "properly" at its initial release. He frequently receives questions on social media about a sequel. "Whenever I post something on Instagram or Twitter, there are only two kinds of comments -- 'When are you making Tumbbad 2?' or 'Why are you not re-releasing the movie in theatres?' People want to see Tumbbad on the big screen. They have given me a lot of love and I want to give them another opportunity to watch this movie in theatres," he said.
Shah will next be seen in Crazy, set to release in November.
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